Where The Heart Is
by The Teal Dragon
Summary: Shawn and Turner are beginning to trust each other, and Shawn lets Jon know a secret he had kept his whole life. When it becomes known to Chet Hunter, things get messed up. The timeline starts the night after the events of the episode "The Pink Flamingo Kid", (Season 3, episode 17) ended. Warnings in the Author's Note inside. Please Read and Review! Constructive Criticism welcome.
1. And So It Begins

Where The Heart Is

Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World or any character affiliated with ABC Family, merely this idea for a fic and my own imagination.

A/N: Welcome, readers, to my very first Boy Meets World multi-chapter fanfic! This fic is about Shawn Hunter and Jonathan Turner. In the story, Shawn and Turner are beginning to trust each other, and Shawn lets Jon know a secret he had kept his whole life. When it becomes known to Chet Hunter, things get messed up. The timeline at the beginning starts the night after the events of the episode "The Pink Flamingo Kid", (Season 3, episode 17) ended. Warnings include Shawn!whump, physical and emotional child abuse, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, and lots of healing love from Jon, Feeny, and the Matthews. Shawn may be Out Of Character in this fic as a result of the abuse. This is expected to be quite a long fic, so please be patient! Please Read and Review! Constructive Criticism welcomed.

The loud shrieks that filled the apartment late at night were no longer out of the ordinary to Jonathan Turner, but they were no less terrifying than the first time Shawn Hunter had a nightmare at their home. Jon pulled his covers off and jumped out of bed, running through the apartment as fast as he could. He stopped outside Shawn's bedroom and called his name softly. "Shawn?"

The fifteen-year-old continued to scream loudly as Jon entered the room. "Kiddo, it's me, Jon." Shawn cried out in his sleep, apparently terrified of something that no one else could see. "It's okay, Shawn. Calm down, buddy." Jon sat down on the mattress next to him and reached out to wake him. Shawn jolted up out of bed at the touch, sobbing in shock and pain. His wide eyes looked right through his guardian's worried gaze. "Shawn, it's alright, kiddo."

At the sound of his voice, Shawn flinched and threw his arm up to cover his face, as if to protect himself from blows. Jon wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly. "It's okay, buddy. It's me, Jon; I won't hurt you. Everything's gonna be alright, kiddo. I won't let anyone hurt you." He whispered quietly. Shawn stopped struggling once he realized who was holding him, and gradually calmed down.

Jon relaxed his grip on Shawn, but kept rubbing soothing circles into his back. Shawn rested his head on Jon's shoulder as he worked on his breathing. Once his breathing was even, Jon asked quietly, "Is tonight the night you tell me about the nightmares?"

Shawn was silent for a minute or so, debating whether or not to tell. He mulled over the day's events in his mind.

Shawn looked at Mr. Feeny incredulously. "It can't be the same as being with real family."

George Feeny stood up. "Oh, Mr. Hunter, you don't have to be blood to be family."

So who was Shawn's family, and who was only blood? Why should he protect blood if they didn't earn a spot in his family? Cory and the Matthews and Topanga and even Feeny were family. Jon was family. They were there for him no matter what, and loved him even at his very worst. Chet Hunter was Shawn's father, but he wasn't family. At that realization, Shawn burst into sobs again.

Jon was alarmed, and it showed in his voice as he tightened his arms around Shawn again. "It's okay, kiddo. Whatever it is, we'll get through this together, alright?"

Shawn nodded and took a deep breath. His voice was shaky as he told the full story. "The nightmares are memories. Memories of stuff that my dad did when he got really drunk."

Jon froze. "Shawn, what exactly did your dad do when he got drunk?" He asked carefully.

Shawn swallowed hard. "He beat me. And my mom, and my half-brother Eddie and my half-sister Stacey. He, uhh… He punched us, and kicked us, and used a belt on us. He told me I was worthless, and he called Mom and Stacy whores. He was worse to Eddie and me. He burned our arms with cigarettes. He smashed a bottle over my head a couple times. But only because I was being bad!" He added quickly, not daring to look at Jon.

Jon stared at Shawn for a minute in complete shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could nobody have known about this? The poor kid was obviously hurting. He must have been terrified while this all was happening. Yet nobody had seen anything, not even the Matthews or Feeny. Not to mention all the classic signs Jon himself had never paid too much attention to. Like the long sleeves in the hot weather, and the bruises and cuts everyone had dismissed as accidents. The low self-esteem, the lack of concentration in school, sleeping through classes…all classic signs of abuse.

That sick bastard.

Almost as if reading Jon's mind, Shawn quickly added, "He's a good dad when he's not on booze. He loves me when he's sober. He just…he needs to get drunk. I drive him to it, anyway." He mumbled, ashamed of himself.

That snapped Jon out of his thoughts. "What do you mean, you drove him to it?" He demanded.

Shawn looked down again, nervous. Jon cursed himself silently and repeated himself. "Buddy, why do you think you drove your father to drink?" He asked softly.

"Because…I'm sort of hard to handle. You know how he feels, I stress you out all the time." Shawn told him.

"Shawn, have I ever hurt you before?" Jon asked seriously.

"No, of course not."

"Have I ever gotten drunk and hurt somebody?"

"No, you don't drink alcohol."

"Exactly. Look, kiddo, you are a challenge at times. But I would never hurt you. I care about you, Shawn. I love you. And not just when you behave perfectly, either. I love you when you fail a test, or run away, or yell at me. True love isn't conditional."

Shawn blinked away the tears and hugged Jon. Jon hugged him back tightly. "I'm so proud of you for telling me, Shawn. We'll talk more about this in the morning. Get some sleep, little buddy." Shawn lay down and Jon pulled the cover up over him.

Jon moved to leave, but Shawn grabbed his hand. "Jon, could you stay? Just until I fall asleep?"

"Yeah, sure, kiddo." Jon replied, sitting back down on the bed. Within minutes, Shawn had fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep. Jon stood up and went back to his room to try to sleep. It was more likely he was going to toss and turn the whole restless night. But in the morning, he'd go see the Matthews and Feeny to inform them of this latest development and ask for advice on what to do with this information.

A/N: okay, guys, how was that for my first chapter? Sorry it's so short, but it was really just an introduction to the story. Also, technically, I'm not sure if Turner drinks in BMW, but for my story it's important to me that he doesn't. Let me know how you like this chapter, and if there's anything you want this story to include! Constructive Criticism welcome!


	2. Maybe, Just Maybe

Where The Heart Is

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Boy Meets World or any character affiliated with the show, ,early this idea for a fic and my own imagination.

A/N: hello, everybody! I am so sorry I haven't been able to update. My internet access is limited to free public wifi because I'm broke. So updates may be a little sporadic. I am so excited that so many people favorited and followed! I'm glad you guys care as much about my story as I do. Warnings in this chapter are the same as the last; physical and emotional child abuse, a little more graphic this chapter, and fluffy protectiveness from Jon. I hope you guys enjoy! Please Read and Review! Constructive Criticism always welcomed!

Jon was already in the kitchen at 5:30 a.m the following morning. He let Shawn sleep a little longer than usual. The kid was exhausted, and so was Jon. He hadn't slept at all after Shawn's confession the night before.

When Shawn hadn't woken up by 7:00 a.m, Jon decided to call George Feeny and tell him that both he and Shawn would be late that day. Mr. Feeny didn't pick up his home phone, so Jon called the receptionist at John Adams High School to leave a message for him. Since it was a Friday, he would have to wait to talk to George until after school. But in the meantime, he was going to make breakfast for himself and Shawn, and then call the Matthews.

He made waffles, eggs, and toast. No bacon, since Shawn had stopped eating bacon after Little Cory had entered his life. When he was done, he glanced at the clock. 8:15. He decided to call the Matthews to tell them Cory should go straight to school instead of stopping to walk to John Adams High with Shawn like he usually did. This would also be an opportunity to get talk privately about Shawn, since Amy took Morgan to school around 8:00 and Alan shouldn't be leaving for work for another fifteen minutes.

He picked up the phone and dialed their home number. Amy picked up after a couple of rings.

"Hello?" She answered pleasantly.

"Hey, Amy. It's Jonathan. Has Cory left for school yet?"

"No, he and Eric are just finishing breakfast. Why?"

"Shawn and I are going to be late today. He had nightmares again last night."

"Poor Shawn." Amy sighed. The nightmares had plagued Shawn for months. He even had a few at the Matthews before coming to Jon. But lately, the nightmares had become both more frequent and more intense than ever before.

"Yeah, but this time, he told me what they're about. Speaking of which, I need to talk to you and Alan. Without the kids in the room, if you don't mind."

"Of course, Jonathan." Amy said, shooting a worried glance at Alan. Alan caught her gaze and turned to the boys.

"Go on, kids, don't be late for school." Alan told them.

"Cory, sweetheart, Shawn won't be at school until later today. Just walk with Topanga, okay?" Amy asked.

"Is Shawn okay?" Cory asked worriedly. Eric looked a little nervous, too.

"Yeah, honey, he's fine. Just go on, and you'll see him later today."

The Matthews boys sighed in relief and headed off to school. A year or so ago, they wouldn't have been fooled, but they knew Jon took good care of Shawn, so they weren't as worried about him as they had been before.

"Okay, Jonathan, they're gone. You're on speaker with Alan and I."

"Alright. God, how do I even tell you this?" He muttered, running his hand through his hair in his typical stressed way.

"Whatever it is, just start at the beginning." Alan told him, trying to stay calm.

"Honestly, you probably know more about his past than I do. But last night, he was so scared, and he told me that the nightmares aren't even nightmares after all. They are all memories of beatings he got from Chet when the bastard got drunk."

Amy and Alan exchanged pained but knowing looks. Amy fought back tears.

Jon listened to the silence on the other end of the phone. Slowly the possibility dawned on him. "You already knew?" He asked, disbelief echoing in his tone.

"No, no, we didn't. Not for sure. But we suspected. We thought that Shawn was being abused. We knew for sure that he was being mistreated. But we had no proof, and Shawn wouldn't admit to anything. The public Child Welfare Agency filed our complaints under allegations. Nothing ever happened." Alan told him wearily.

"Did George know?" Jon demanded.

"Again, nobody knew for sure…but yes, he suspected. We all knew on some level that Shawn was being mistreated." Alan sighed. Amy had been fighting back tears, but now she burst into sobs. Shawn was like a son to her, he had been ever since Shawn and Cory were six and Cory brought him home and introduced him as his "bestest ever friend."

Amy and Alan's first opinion of Shawn was that he was a good kid, very kind to Cory and the family. But they quickly noticed that he was far too skinny, and hungry all the time. His clothes never fit, they were either too small or too baggy. And he was almost always sporting some random bruise. When they asked about his injuries, like the black eye or the belt-buckle-shaped cut on his cheek, he always stuttered a quick excuse and changed the subject. Whenever he ate dinner at their house, he asked for extra to bring home to his brother and sister.

All these signs pointed toward abuse and neglect in the household, but whatever story Shawn and the rest of the Hunter family came up with must have been pretty damn convincing, because Child Welfare said there was insufficient evidence and closed the case.

Just as Jon was about to reply, the door to Shawn's bedroom creaked open slowly. Shawn peeked out, a cautious look on his features. He looked at Jon nervously. "Can I come out?" He asked quietly.

Jon was surprised to see that Shawn was behaving as if he was in deep trouble. But then he remembered that Shawn had never told anyone about the abuse he had suffered before. He was probably terrified; his father had most likely threatened to hurt him if he told a soul. Jon put on an affectionate smile and nodded. "Yeah, of course, buddy, come on in. Breakfast is in the kitchen."

Shawn nodded and went into the kitchen to grab his plate of food. Jon turned back to his phone conversation with the Matthews. "Look, guys, I'm coming over around five to discuss this further. That way, Feeny can give me Shawn's schoolwork and he and Cory can hang out a bit. Maybe we can all have dinner together. That sound good to you guys?"

Amy was still crying, so Alan answered. "Yes, Jonathan, that sounds great. See you and Shawn then."

They hung up, and Jon turned to Shawn and smiled. The smile faded, however, when he realized Shawn wasn't eating, instead opting to push the food around his plate with his fork. "Are you not hungry, kiddo?" He asked, concerned with the normally insatiable boy's lack of appetite.

Shawn shrugged. For once he actually wasn't. He was so nervous that his stomach literally hurt just thinking about last night. He couldn't help but feel that he was betraying his father by discussing what had happened with Jon. He had to keep reminding himself that his father wasn't really family, that Jon and the Matthews and Topanga and Eli and Feeny were his true family. That they were the ones that have never given up on him, or hurt him, or abandoned him. Hell, he thought, the fact that he was clean, and healthy, and wearing clothes that fit, while he stared at a plate of good food that he didn't even have to prepare himself was a pretty obvious sign that Jon kept him safe, unlike Chet. But it would take a while to feel comfortable talking to anyone about the secret he had kept his entire life.

"I'm okay." He said quietly, picking up his fork and shoveling in a mouthful of food to appease him. He glanced at the clock and blinked. "Jon, it's 8:35! We're late for school! Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You and I both know that I believe education is important. But you needed the extra rest and a good meal. Also," Jon added gently, "because we need to discuss what you told me last night."

Shawn went back to playing with his food again. "What do we need to talk about?" He asked, resigned.

"I know this is hard for you, kiddo, but I need to know everything your father did to you." Jon told him.

"Why?" Shawn asked suspiciously.

"So I can get a better grip on the situation, and I can figure out a way to help you with these nightmares."

Shawn swallowed hard. "Okay." He said quietly. He took a deep breath and decided to get it over with as quickly as possible. "My first memories of being hurt, I was really young, like maybe three or four. He threw a beer bottle at me. I got a pretty nasty cut, and it bled a lot, and I was scared. I don't really remember what I did that was so bad..."

He paused, his gaze focused on his shoes. Then he took a deep breath and continued. "The first time he burned me with a cigarette, I was in trouble for stealing food from Uncle Mike's. Eddie and I took some snacks from the closet and took it home to eat and give some to Stacey and mom. But Dad caught us smuggling it under Eddie's sweatshirt, and he grabbed us before we could get past him to give it to them. He was smoking a cigarette when he caught us, and he snuffed it out on my shoulder. It hurt really bad."

Shawn's voice cracked, but he just swallowed hard and kept going, the words spilling out in a rush. "I don't remember the first time he punched or kicked me, or the first time he hit me with a belt. It's almost like it was a normal thing, you know? But it happened a lot." He shuddered as the memories passed through his mind.

"Whenever something hurt one of us really bad, my dad took us to the trailer park doctor, my older cousin Stan. He went to medical school, but he never graduated. He fixed us up, broken bones, stitches, you name it; and gave us doctor's notes for school." Shawn continued to concentrate on his shoes. This was really hard. He felt as if he was betraying his whole world inside the trailer park. But he tried to combat the thoughts of Eddie telling him that that was where he belonged.

"He used to tell me that I wasn't good enough to eat, that I was bad and even when there was food, which wasn't very much, I wasn't supposed to eat it." He took another deep breath. "He's always called me names when he got mad. Stuff like worthless, and stupid, and good for nothing." He hung his head. "Sometimes I think he's right."

Jon had been locked in a state of shock and pain and fury, but Shawn's final words snapped him out of that. "Shawn, listen to me. This is really important for you to know. You are not worthless or stupid, and you are good. You mean the world to the Matthews, and Feeny, and Topanga, and even Eli. And especially me. Okay? You are an amazing kid. You're strong and kind and a hell of a lot smarter than anyone gives you credit for."

Shawn gave him a long, disbelieving look.

"I'm serious, kiddo. I know it's hard for you to believe, but you are a really great, special kid. I mean it. I'm so sorry you can't see that. But Shawn, you are an exceptional kid, and you didn't deserve anything that your father did to you. You are not bad. You didn't deserve to be punished, or told that you were worthless, or be denied food. I'm so sorry he did that to you, buddy." Jon's voice cracked, too. He swallowed hard and continued. "Shawn, your father will never hurt you again. Okay?"

"But what about when-?"

"Never, Shawn. Never again. Do you hear me?" The ferocity and urgency in his tone dissolved Shawn's protests.

"Okay." But Shawn wasn't one hundred percent sure. What would happen when his dad returned and took him? It wasn't like he could stay forever. Jon wouldn't want to be stuck with some screwed up kid that screamed at night. He was damaged goods, and everyone knew it. The idea of leaving the only place he ever truly considered his home and the only people who earned the title of family broke something deep inside of him. So Shawn tried to stop thinking about it.

He cleared his throat and tried to change the subject. "So, can we go to school now? I think I have a test in Biology."

"Yeah. Sure." Jon wasn't entirely convinced that Shawn believed him, but one day the kid would understand how great he really was. Jon would get him there. For now, Shawn was okay, and Cory was probably out of his accident-prone mind worrying about him. Eli, Jon's best friend and the media arts teacher, was probably worried about them, too. So they should probably get to school.

Jon went to the kitchen to clean up breakfast, and Shawn plopped down on the couch to watch television. The channel was on the news station, from when Eli was at their place last night. Shawn couldn't pay attention to the world's conflicts and war when he was fighting his own conflicted war himself.

Jon and Shawn got to school around 10:00 a.m later that day. Shawn always loved being late, because along with missing classes, it meant that he got to ride on Jon's motorcycle. He loved doing that, even though Jon went slowly and carefully whenever Shawn rode with him. Jon had told Shawn that when he turned sixteen, he would teach him to ride it. Shawn couldn't wait, but privately he wondered if Jon would still stick around to teach him when Shawn went back with his dad. He hoped so. But hope was for other people.

They arrived just in time for the end of third period. Shawn's Biology class was fourth period, so he said a hurried goodbye to Jon and headed off. Jon shook his head. Ever since he had told Shawn that he would take him to backpack in Europe this summer if he got his grades up, Shawn was trying much harder in school. He probably was telling the truth when he said there was a test in his Biology class. He shared most of his classes with Cory, including Biology, so Cory wouldn't have to fret much longer.

Jon walked into his third period English class just as the bell rang. The students filed out as Mr. Feeny erased the chalkboard. A few students lingered behind to ask the teachers if there was any homework, but they shook their heads. No point giving homework to a class he didn't even teach.

"So, Jonathan, I trust that there is a reasonable explanation as to why you and Mr. Hunter are so tardy this morning." Mr. Feeny addressed the younger teacher in a stern manner.

"The nightmares, George." That explanation seemed to suffice. Even Mr. Feeny knew about Shawn's nightmares. Him being the wise older man that he was, he understood Shawn needing time to recuperate from the terrifying dreams.

Before Jon could tell him about the true meaning behind Shawn's nightmares, the bell rang for the beginning of fourth period. They both had classes to teach, so Feeny left and Jon decided to tell him later, at the Matthews.

Meanwhile, Shawn and Cory were trying to take their Biology test. Both boys were struggling, but they both paid attention in class lately, so they were aiming for either C's or B's. Shawn was beginning to understand the whole "study to succeed" thing, having been forced to study last night by Jon, who checked his homework every night.

When they turned their tests in, Cory took the opportunity to whisper to Shawn. "Are you okay? Why weren't you here this morning? You left me to face Feeny on my own! His eyes drilled holes in my face the whole time!" They both had second period History with Feeny.

Shawn rolled his eyes affectionately at Cory's dramatic tendencies and worrying habits. "Relax, Cor. I'm fine. I just had a rough night, so Jon let me oversleep."

"The nightmares again?" Cory asked sympathetically. "Did it have clowns? Mine always have clowns."

Shawn laughed. "No, Cory. Have you considered seeking professional help for that clown thing?"

They laughed and carried on until the teacher scolded them. And Shawn found some comfort in the fact that no matter what happened, he would always have Cory in his circle. Maybe, just maybe, he could keep his family together.

A/N: okay, people, how was that? Please Review to tell me what you think! Constructive criticism welcome as always! Next chapter- Jon talks to Feeny and the Matthews about what to do. I'll update as soon as I can, guys. Thanks for your patience!


	3. Forever and Always

Where The Heart Is

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World or any of the characters therein, simply my imagination and this idea for a story.

A/N: Hello, everyone! I hope you are all doing well. Thanks so much for your lovely reviews and all the follows/favorites! I am glad that everyone is enjoying the story. This chapter is a little short, because I wanted to be able to post as quickly as possible. I hope it's not too short for you all to enjoy. This chapter is fluffy towards the end. Please Read & Review! Constructive Criticism welcome, as always.

After school, Shawn and Cory walked to the Matthew's residence. Jon told Shawn to go ahead, and he would follow later. The two best friends joked and laughed their way to Cory's house. They talked about the Biology test, and girls, and basketball, and before they knew it they were already there. Shawn loved the sense of normal that came with their playful banter. It was comforting to him, and his stomach was finally settling down.

They passed Feeny's house and entered the kitchen through the back door. Amy already had freshly baked sugar cookies waiting on the table for them when they walked in. Having barely touched his breakfast and not eaten lunch, either, Shawn jumped at the chance to eat. He gobbled down the tasty treat with fervor, and Cory was reminded of the days when Shawn was too skinny and inhaled any food he could manage to find. Cory shuddered and pushed those memories out of his mind. Shawn was safe, and well-fed, and happy; he reminded himself. He was living with someone who cared about him and Cory didn't have to worry about him anymore.

But he used to worry about Shawn. Cory met his best friend when he was too young to understand why Shawn didn't like going home. He was too naïve to understand that Shawn didn't get those bruises from playing sports with Cory, and he didn't know why his parents whispered worriedly behind their backs, and why Mr. Feeny kept Shawn after class to ask if he was eating enough.

But as he got older, he saw how Shawn's dad was always passed out on the couch surrounded by empty bottles of alcohol, and began to understand why he felt so scared when Mr. Hunter was awake. He realized that Shawn's life was not normal, his family was not normal, and he started to listen to his parents when they told him quietly that he shouldn't go to Shawn's trailer home, and that maybe he shouldn't talk about how many presents he got on his birthday or Christmas.

When Mr. Jonathan Turner came into their lives, things changed for them, especially for Shawn. Mr. Turner was not the lame teacher they expected, the "Feeny with an earring" that they anticipated. He genuinely cared about his students and what they wanted to learn. Mr. Feeny cared too, of course, but Mr. Turner really wanted them to have a say in their education. His loyalty to his students was put to the test many times, but he never stopped advocating for them.

And when Shawn and his life began to spiral out of control, Mr. Turner stepped in to provide a safe place for Shawn to not only live, but to thrive and rebel and study and learn to be loved, a caring place to just be a kid. He had his first allowance, his first pet, his first steady girlfriend, and so much more. It was the first place Shawn was not afraid to drag Cory into; in fact, the first thing he did when he moved in was ask Jon to invite Cory over to just hang out. He never got to do that with his trailer home. And Cory's parents let him go without any reservations, also for the first time.

Cory wouldn't understand everything that Mr. Turner did for Shawn until much later in life. But he knew enough to be grateful to him for keeping his best friend safe and loved.

"Dude. You totally zoned out there for a minute. You okay?" Shawn asked through a mouthful of cookies.

Cory snapped back to the present. "Yeah, my Shawn. Let me have some cookies." He half-scolded him when he noticed his best friend had eaten almost all of the cookies. They went to the living room to work on their homework while they watched TV.

They heard the roar of Jon's motorcycle before they saw it, and Shawn's face lit up when they heard it. He ran outside and Cory followed right behind him. Jon pulled up as both boys watched in awe of the heavy machine and it's rider. "I rode on it with him to school this morning." Shawn bragged. He had never had much to brag about, and he enjoyed being able to.

"Aww, man." Cory whined, jealous. "Mr. Turner, when do I get to ride?!"

Jon's eyes widened. "Uhh, never, Matthews."

Cory made a face.

Amy and Alan walked outside to greet their guest.

"Jonathan, great to see you! How was your day?" Alan asked.

"Good, how was yours?"

"It was great. Come on in, dinner's on the table."

They all walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table, joining Morgan and Eric, who were already there. The dinner of roast beef, corn, and milk looked and smelled mouth watering.

Amy started serving everyone. They all talked about their day as they enjoyed their delicious plate of food. Morgan had had a great day at school, and Eric had met a girl. (Big shocker.) Alan's day at the grocery was uneventful, and Amy's real estate job was going well. Jon told them about the Shakespeare unit he was planning, and Cory and Shawn talked about the Biology test. Both boys thought they had done a decent job.

After they had all finished, the adults offered to clean up and the boys all went upstairs to play video games, while Morgan went outside to practice her soccer moves.

They decided to wait to discuss Shawn's confession until George Feeny came over. In the meantime, they washed, dried, and put away the dishes from dinner.

Feeny came home just before dark, after grading papers at school for most of the afternoon and evening. Amy, Alan and Jon all went outside to talk to him.

"Evening, George." Amy greeted him.

"Amy, Alan. Jonathan." He nodded to each of them. "How are you all this lovely evening?"

"We're well, but Jonathan and Shawn could be better." Alan sighed.

"Ah, yes, I heard our Mr. Hunter had a rather restless night." George acknowledged.

"He finally told us what the nightmares are about." Jon told him.

George frowned. "And what are they about, Jonathan?"

"His father beating him. Chet has been physically abusing Shawn for as long as the kid can remember. The bastard also called him names, and told him he wasn't allowed to eat." Jon said angrily.

Amy started crying again. Alan wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head.

George looked away. "I wish I could tell you that I had no idea that any of this was occurring. However, I cannot. I knew something was very wrong. My deepest regret is that I could not save young Shawn from his father."

He continued, "I knew something was wrong the very first day I met the young boy. He was far smaller than the rest of the children, and much dirtier. He had no friends for the first few days. Until he met Cory, he was a rather quiet boy, very subdued. I could tell Shawn tried hard to complete his schoolwork, but became very frustrated by what he could not understand. Eventually, I pulled him aside to ask why he was struggling. He shrugged and told me quietly that he was just "stupid". He said this so definitely that I was sure that someone had been telling him that for quite some time, and that he believed them wholeheartedly. I could not convince him otherwise, no matter how hard I tried. Eventually, he just stopped trying at all. Soon he was very popular with the other students, known for his class clown attitude, and he enjoyed the attention. It was almost as if he was starving for it."

George sighed. "I tried to contact his parents, but they never cooperated with the school system. They also never sent Shawn to school with a lunch or money, so I set up a free lunch program with the principal. The rest, I'm afraid, is history."

Everyone was quiet for a while after that, each lost in their own thoughts and feelings. Amy was still sobbing, and Jonathan and Alan were clenching their fists.

When they had all calmed down a little, Jon asked the obvious question. "So what do we do about this? I mean, if Chet shows up, we can't let him take Shawn. I promised that kid that his father would never hurt him again, and I meant it."

"Well, the Department of Family Services won't do anything without proof, and Shawn won't tell them what happened. He doesn't trust them." Amy told them.

"If we can convince Chet to give you guardianship of Shawn, then we won't have to worry about D.F.S. The bastard won't do the jail time he deserves, but at least Shawn will be safe." Alan suggested.

" I still need to talk to Shawn and see if he even wants to stay with me." Jon said, frustrated.

"You must understand that the young man will most likely ask to go home to his father. At this point, he may even think he deserved the abuse." George added thoughtfully.

"But he didn't!" Jon said fiercely. "He deserves a loving home where he can be himself without having to worry about someone hurting him. He's such a great kid. Why can't he just see that?"

"There is no doubt that you've given him exactly what you described. Mr. Hunter just might not understand that he deserves it quite yet. It must be quite hard to adjust to a caring guardian after all that he's been through."

Jon sighed. George Feeny was right, as always. But he wished that Shawn could see himself as the amazing kid everyone knew he was instead of the worthless piece of trash his father said he was.

"Okay, so the first step is to talk to Shawn, see what he wants to do." Amy said, wiping her eyes.

"Okay, let's talk to him." Alan agreed.

They all walked back into the kitchen.

"Shawn, honey, can you come down here for a second?" Amy called upstairs to him.

"Sure, hold on!" Shawn's voice called back. After a moment, they heard his footsteps leading down the stairs. He appeared at the landing, waved at them, and bounded down the last couple steps.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" He asked them, smiling.

"Shawn, buddy, we need to talk to you." Jon told him.

Shawn frowned. "Am I in trouble? 'Cause I don't know what I did."

"No, kiddo, you're not in trouble. Look, you probably won't like this, but I told Feeny and the Matthews what you told me last night and this morning." Jon said to him.

"You did what?!" Shawn demanded.

"Shawn, sweetie. We needed to know." Amy said gently.

"Mr. Hunter, do you remember our conversation from yesterday?" Feeny asked.

"Yeah. What does that have to do with anything?" Shawn asked angrily.

"You have always placed an immense amount of importance with family. Families share with one another."

Shawn sighed. Mr. Feeny was right, as always. It was still hard to remember that his father was only blood, that these people were his real family. Families needed to know these things.

He took a deep breath. "Okay, so now you know. Now what?"

"Now we have to talk about how to best protect you so that this never happens again." Jon told him.

"But what about when my dad comes back for me?" Shawn asked, trying and failing to keep the fear out of his voice.

"He won't take you from me, Shawn. If you want to stay with me, you are more than welcome to." Jon said gently.

"For how long?" Shawn asked suspiciously.

"However long you want to stay, kiddo. Another couple weeks, months, a year. Forever, if you feel like it. I just want you to be safe and happy. I see that you're happy. I know you feel safe, or else you wouldn't have trusted me enough to be as brave as you were when you told me."

"So, if I wanted to stay with you forever, you wouldn't mind?" Shawn asked nervously.

Jon smiled at the teenager. "I'd be honored, little buddy."

Shawn grinned."Okay. Then I want to stay with you. Forever."

"Okay." Jon said, simply grinning back.

"But what about my Dad? I can't tell D.F.S about him, he'll go to jail!" He said, panicking slightly. His father may not of always done the right thing, but Shawn loved him.

The adults in the kitchen all thought Chet Hunter deserved more than just jail time, but Jon simply said, "We already thought you might not want to involve them. So what we're thinking is maybe next time he calls I just ask him to give me custody. Maybe if it comes from one of us, he might listen."

Shawn was quiet for a moment. "No." He said finally.

"No, what, Shawn?"

He took a deep breath. "I want to do it. I need to be the one to ask him. He really does love me when he's not drunk. I really think he'll listen to me if he's sober."

They looked at each other. "Alright, Shawn. You can do it. But if he's drunk, hang up and let him call back later, okay?" Jon said finally.

Shawn nodded. "Okay."

"Alright. Go ahead and finish your video game. We'll head out in about an hour." Jon told him.

"Okay." Shawn ran back upstairs.

Jon turned to the other adults. "Shawn's dad usually calls on the 21st of each month. So next week, I'll call and let you know how it goes."

They all nodded and the discussion turned to other things, but their minds and hearts all stayed with the young boy upstairs.

A/N: Okay, guys, there it is, Chapter 3! Hope you all enjoyed. Please Read & Review.


	4. I Hope You Find It

Where The Heart Is  
Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World or any characters affiliated with the show.

A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys. Life is very busy lately. Warnings for mentions of physical and emotional child abuse and neglect. This chapter is partly inspired by music. Demi Lovato's song Shouldn't Come Back (She wrote it to her absentee father, and  
it's an excellent song.) and an old Miley Cyrus song called I Hope You Find It. (It's from the movie The Last Song.) Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

The time passed quickly that week, and soon enough it was the 21st of the month. Shawn had spent the previous weeks trying not to think about the upcoming phone call with his father. But by  
the time the dreaded day came, he had panicked and rehearsed the possibilities a thousand times. There really is no good way to tell the abusive father that abandoned you that you didn't want him in your life.

Jon knew that Shawn was terrified. He could tell by the way the nightmares got worse and the way the teenager couldn't stay still. Shawn wasn't eating with his usual voracious appetite,  
and he spent a lot of time in his room, just sitting on his bed staring up at the ceiling, apparently lost in thought. Jon's heart went out to the boy with whom he'd become so close. The situation was difficult for anybody, but especially a  
child, to have to handle.

On the 21st of the month, Shawn was a terrified wreck, and Jon wasn't much better. He didn't want that bastard to talk to Shawn, even if he was the kid's father. He didn't deserve to talk to him anyway, not after everything he had done. But Jon knew he  
had to be strong, for Shawn. No matter what the outcome of the conversation was, he had to keep the teenager safe.

At school, Shawn was unable to sit still for more than a few minutes. He fidgeted in his seat, got up to use the bathroom every ten minutes, and took the long way to all of his classes. After Mr. Feeny noticed Shawn not eating his lunch, he grew concerned.

Finally, Mr. Feeny told Shawn to come to his office. The teenager expected a stern lecture, but he didn't get it. Instead, Mr. Feeny motioned for him to sit down.

"Mr. Hunter. How have you been doing, in light of recent events?" Mr. Feeny asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Mr. Feeny." Shawn muttered, clearly barely holding it together.

"I don't believe that you're being entirely honest with me. Or with yourself, for that matter." Feeny replied, looking at Shawn knowingly.

"I just – I just don't get it, Mr. Feeny. He's my dad, he's supposed to love me. But he doesn't, not really. I mean, he wouldn't hit me if he loved me, right?" Shawn asked desperately.  
Mr. Feeny sighed. "Oh, Mr. Hunter. There are many different kinds of love."

Shawn frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, in this particular situation, the kinds of love in your life are the selfless love, the kind that you are blessed to have with the Matthews family and Mr. Turner; and the selfish love, the kind that you have experienced as a result of your  
relationship with your father."

"I believe your father loves you as much as he is able. However, he is selfish with his love, putting others at risk with his behavior. Instead of putting his child first, he is putting his alcohol addiction before him. That is not the type of love  
that you, as a growing young man, need." Mr. Feeny explained patiently.

Shawn reflected upon the older man's wise words. After a moment, he stood up. "Thank you, Mr. Feeny." He told him quietly.

"Anytime, Mr. Hunter. Anytime." Mr. Feeny smiled.

The rest of the day was uneventful. The evening came and Shawn had been anxiously pacing around the apartment once he came home from school. Jon tried to distract him by getting him to watch the football game, but Shawn wasn't able to sit down and relax.  
He went to his room to lay down and stare at the ceiling and organize his thoughts.

When the phone rang, they both jumped at the sound. Jon's heart started beating faster than he thought was possible. Shawn stood up shakily and walked to the phone. He took a deep breath before he picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" Shawn asked quietly, his voice shaking badly. Jon signaled for Shawn to put the phone on speaker. Shawn nodded his understanding and pushed the button.

"Hey, there, Shawnie! How you doing there, big guy?" Chet Hunter's voice echoed across the silence of the room.

He didn't sound drunk, so Jon nodded his approval to continue the conversation. Shawn took another deep breath and said, "Dad, we need to talk."

If Chet noticed the seriousness of Shawn's tone, he didn't give any indication of it."Sure. What about?" He answered cheerfully.

"Well, first of all, Dad…I just want you to know that…" Shawn paused for a second. "That I hope you find it. Whatever you're looking for. And I hope it's everything you  
wanted, and everything you ever dreamed of, and even more than that. And I hope you're happy, wherever you are. I wanted you to know that. And nothing's ever going to change that. Ever. Okay?"

Silence. Then – "Alrighty, there, Slim Jim. I hope so too. Anything else?"

Shawn swallowed hard. "Yeah…uhmm… I've spent a lot of time in my room lately. Just sort of thinking, you know?"

Chet paused for a minute. "Why is that, Shawnie?" The man asked. Jon held his breath.

"You know the reason why." Shawn stated in a serious tone. Traces of the hurt and anger he felt was evident in his defeated tone.

For a moment, the only sound was that of Jon and Chet's labored breaths. Shawn almost stopped breathing for a minute. He had no idea what his father's response would be, and he wasn't so sure  
he wanted to know.

After a minute of silence, Shawn figured that his father was not going to answer. So he continued. "Maybe… Maybe you shouldn't come back to me." Shawn's voice cracked in the middle  
of his sentence.

"Shawnie?" Chet asked, the possibility slowly dawning on him. He had always known this moment would come.

"I'm tired of being so sad. I'm tired of obsessing about why you don't love me. I'm tired of crying in my room, alone. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of feeling so mad I could punch something. I'm tired of wishing that you would come back and that we  
would be this perfect family. Because you and Mom aren't coming back. Ever. And I need to face that. I already have." Once he started, he couldn't stop himself. The words were spilling out of his mouth as fast as he could speak them.

"I'm trying really hard to forget everything. The beatings, the hunger, the fear. Everything that you missed out on because you were passed out drunk. I think it should get easier, right?  
But it doesn't. I was only a kid." Shawn's voice was shaking almost as violently as he was. "I was only a kid." He repeated in disbelief at the situation.

"Shawnie... I'm so sorry." Chet pleaded. "I was drunk. I didn't know what I was doing! I love you, Slim Jim! And I promise, I'm comin' home soon. We'll be together before you know it. We'll…"

"Stop it! Right now, Dad!" Shawn almost yelled. "You're only gonna let me down." He sighed as there was silence on both of their parts.

"Dad. I know you love me." Shawn began, gentler this time. "But it a selfish kind of love. You love me when you're not drunk. But you don't love me enough to stay sober."

He took another deep breath. "The Matthews, and Feeny, and Eli and especially Jon love me in the way I'm supposed to be loved. They love me enough to take care of me, and then some. They love me no matter what. Jon loves me so much that he's  
willing to give up an awesome bachelor life just to take someone as messed up as me in, not just for a temporary thing, but forever." Shawn nervously paused to listen for his father's reaction.

"This is the best place for me, Dad." He told him.

Chet was quiet for a while. When he finally answered, his voice was choked with tears. All he said was, "You're right." He inhaled deeply. "That's where you belong. I would be wrong to take you away from that guardian of yours. Sound like  
he really loves you, Slim Jim."

"I do." Jon said, making Shawn look up in surprise at hearing his voice. He had been quiet the whole time that Shawn and Chet were talking, but now he felt the need to speak. "Chet, I'll send the papers my lawyer gave to me for you to sign  
in the mail. I asked him to mail it to the motel. Any concerns you have can go through him. His name is Ryan Ganovski." He kept his voice civil, but barely.

"Alright." Chet said gruffly, then hung up the phone quickly, trying not to get emotional.

Shawn burst into sobs and fell to the floor, clutching the phone in his hand. Jon grabbed him and just held him for a while, as the strongest person he ever knew broke down in his arms. Jon  
was almost crying himself, but he stayed strong for his little buddy.

"I know this is hard, kiddo, but I am so proud of you. You're the best, Shawn. You're so amazing, little buddy.. You did a great job." Jon gently told him. "It's gonna be okay.  
We'll get through this together, just like I said before. We're a family. That's what families do."

He hugged him tighter. "I love you, kiddo."

"I love you, too." Shawn answered, his voice slightly muffled by Jon's embrace. He hugged his guardian back tightly, almost as if he was afraid to let go. 


	5. I'm So Proud Of You

Where The Heart Is

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the show Boy Meets World or any character affiliated with the show.

A/N: Hey, guys! I am so sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long. I've been insanely busy with my summer courses and I'm also working on my story for the NCIS fandom, Family Portrait. And I've got some other plot bunnies hopping around in my mind, too, so…yeah. Sorry. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it. Also, I apologize if anyone noticed that the format of the previous chapter was a bit off. I used the FanFiction app to upload it and it came out a little different. The poems in this chapter are actually songs. Shawn's poem is "Starts with Goodbye" by Carrie Underwood (I have a weakness for country music.) I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG. This chapter's warnings include mentions of physical and emotional abuse, abandonment, and crude language. Plus lots of fluffy love for Shawn.

Shawn cried himself to sleep that night, and Jon woke up several times a night for the next few nights. Shawn's nightmares had gotten even worse.

One night, about a week after the phone call, Jon woke up to the sound of screaming and ran to Shawn's room, only to find that Shawn was already awake. This happened sometimes, occasionally he woke himself up screaming. But this time Shawn was sitting up, writing furiously in a notebook that Jon had never seen before.

"Hey, buddy… What's going on?" Jon asked, sitting next to Shawn and rubbing his back gently.

Shawn startled, having not noticed Jon's presence until just then. He snapped his notebook shut and forced a smile. "Oh, hey Jon. Nothing much. Just hangin', you know?" He was nervous, but Jon didn't understand why.

So he asked. "Are you alright, kiddo?" He questioned with concern.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine… How are you?" Shawn was talking fast. That was never a good sign. It either meant he was lying or scared and trying to get out of trouble. In this case, probably both.

"Shawn, what's really going on with you?" Jon asked seriously.

Shawn was prepared to lie, but the concern in Jon's eyes compelled him to speak the truth. "I was sort of scared you'd be mad at me…you know, 'cause I was writing and stuff."

Jon was confused. "Buddy, I'd never be mad at you for writing; I think it's a good thing! I write all the time. Why would you think I'd be angry at you for that?"

Shawn swallowed. "My dad… he used to get mad when he saw me. He used to say that useless, retarded, pieces of shit like me were too stupid to write… So I couldn't write with people around. Eddie used to tell Dad when he saw me, and Dad would beat me. So I figured…"

Jon closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He hated that man. Not that Chet Hunter even qualified as a man in Jon's opinion. No real man could ever hurt an innocent, helpless child. Not to mention abandon him and scar his future relationships with people who actually care about him. Because of Chet, Shawn was scared of Jon, and that made taking care of Shawn so much more difficult. As far as Jon was concerned, the only good thing Chet Hunter ever did was help give Shawn life. He was grateful for that. But the only piece of shit in the equation was definitely Chet.

Taking a deep breath, Jon opened his eyes and looked Shawn directly in the eye. "Shawn, you are not useless. You are loved and valued by your real friends and family. You are not retarded, either. You are smart, kiddo. You're one of the most intelligent kids I have ever met. You have more knowledge of the streets of Philadelphia than anyone, and your ability to survive and thrive is a thousand times more important than Geometry or History or Biology or any other school subject. And no matter what Chet says, you are not a piece of shit. You are the most amazing kid I ever had the pleasure of loving, okay, buddy?"

Shawn nodded, and hugged Jon fiercely. "I love you, too."

Jon smiled, hugging him back lovingly. When they pulled away from each other, Jon asked Shawn, "So, what do you write anyway? God forbid it be homework." He joked.

Shawn laughed. "No way, man. It's just some poems and stories. Mostly poems, though."

Jon grinned. "That's cool! I write poetry, too. Maybe someday we could take a look at each other's work."

"Yeah, maybe." Shawn answered, yawning.

"Alright, kiddo. Why don't you get some sleep?" Jon stood up, turning the light off. "You know where I am if you need me."

"Yeah." Shawn answered sleepily. "Thanks, Jon."

"No problem, little buddy."

The next day in school, Cory and Shawn were playing around in the hallway. When the bell rang for Biology, the boys ran and slid into the classroom seconds before the late bell. Laughing hysterically, they made their way to their seats just as the teacher called their names.

"Shawn Hunter, Cory Matthews…."

They looked at each other, eyes wide. "Uh-oh…" Cory muttered, looking guilty.

"Why do you look like so guilty?" Shawn whispered.

"I don't know! The teacher just called our name! Why don't you?!"

"Relax, Cor, I haven't done anything illegal in a while. And I didn't drag you into it last time, so we should be good."

The teacher cleared his throat. "I wanted to congratulate you both. You have each scored significantly higher than usual. Matthews, you got a B+. Hunter, you got your first A- in this class!"

Both their jaws dropped before the boys turned to look at each other and…

"Yes!" They shouted victoriously, doing their favorite handshake. The class laughed with them.

"Wait 'till I show Jon!" Shawn yelled, grinning widely.

Cory was proud of himself, but he was even prouder of his friend. He was glad that Shawn had something to make Jon proud. When he was living with Chet, nobody in the trailer park cared about his grades. But Jon did, and Cory knew that making Jon proud would make Shawn happy, and inspire him to do better. And that's all Cory wanted for his best friend.

Their last period of the day was English with Mr. Turner. Both boys broke into a run to get to his class on time. Shawn was excited to tell Jon his big news, but they arrived only a couple seconds before the late bell.

Shawn would tell him later. For now, he had another way to make his guardian proud.

"Okay, class. How are you all today?" Turner asked.

The class muttered their answers incoherently.

"Alright, then. Glad you guys are in such a good place. That means you all have done the ballad poetry homework, right?"

The front of the class nodded, but the whole back row, including Cory, groaned. Shawn, however, stayed quiet.

"Alright, that's what I like to hear. Your pain motivates me to assign more homework." Turner joked. "Who wants to go first?"

Shawn swallowed hard before tentatively raising his hand.

Turner looked at him, surprised. "Okay, Hunter. Let's hear it." He expected to hear some bull about one of his uncles, like last year's poetry unit. But he was about to be shocked.

Shawn cleared his throat before quietly reading his poem from the same notebook Jon had apse end the night before.

"Starts With Goodbye

I was sitting on my doorstep.

I hung up the phone

It fell out of my hands.

But I knew I had to do it

And he wouldn't understand.

So hard to see myself without him

I felt a piece of my heart break…

But when you're standing at a crossroads

There's a choice you gotta make.

I know there's a blue horizon somewhere up ahead

Just waiting for me.

But getting there means leaving things behind…

Sometimes life's so bittersweet.

Time heals the wounds that you feel right now

Somehow…

But right now...

I guess it's gonna have to hurt

I guess I'm gonna have to cry

And let go of some things I loved to get to the other side.

I guess it's gonna break me down

Like falling when I'm trying to fly.

It's sad but sometimes moving on with the rest of your life

Starts with goodbye."

The class was quiet after that, most of the kids wondering who that poem was even about. Only Cory, Topanga, and Turner knew the truth. Shawn had written that poem about moving on from the pain he felt being separated from that part of his life. Chet, his 'family' in the trailer park, Eddie… all of them were toxic, and as much as he loved them…he had to let go of them in order to embrace his real family and his future.

His vulnerability and honesty shocked them all.

When Turner got his voice back, he smiled at the teenager and said, "Excellent work, Hunter. That's exactly what I'm looking for, guys. Take a page out of Shawn's book. So, who's next?"

When Cory and Shawn arrived at the apartment later, Jon and Eli were already there. Cory pulled out his Biology test and went over to Jon. "Look, here, Mr. Turner! My Biology teacher gave me a B on my test! It's a new trend. You should be following it, unless, that is, you don't want to be cool…"

Without looking up from grading papers, Jon said dryly, "Good thing I was never one for normality."

Shawn pulled out his paper and ran to Jon. "Guess what I got?" He spoke proudly, showing Jon his grade.

Jon looked up and saw the A. His face broke out into a wide grin as he went to hug Shawn. "Way to go buddy! I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you, kiddo." Shawn grinned happily.

Cory smiled, as well, looking at his happy friend and thanking the heavens for this man who loved his best friend.

A/N- okay guys, here you go. Hope you liked it! Please review regardless! I'll do my best to update soon.


	6. It's Not Your Fault

Where The Heart Is

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Boy Meets World or any characters affiliated with the show.

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you've all been well. My fall semester just started, and I've been very busy with classes. Also, I'm juggling this with my NCIS fic, and I've begun drafting a Criminal Minds fic as well. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Warnings include mentions of child neglect, child physical and mental abuse, sick!Shawn, and fluffy caretaking from Jon and Cory. Please Read and Review!

Jon woke up after a restless night of caring for Shawn, who seemed to have developed the beginning symptoms of the flu. His temperature was quite high at 102.3, he was coughing up phlegm, and he had a nasty sore throat and a runny nose. He was also showing signs of fatigue and was vomiting terribly. But Shawn insisted that he wasn't sick, and that Jon was over-reacting.

In some ways, he was right. Not that he was fine, because he wasn't. He was definitely sick. But Jon was over-reacting a little. Shawn had never been sick before, not while he lived with Jon, anyway. And he had never dealt with a sick kid before.

But the weather was changing, and everyone gets sick once in a while. But not everyone has a best friend like Cory Matthews.

He had shown up the previous day and walked with Shawn to school. Immediately, he had noticed that Shawn wasn't feeling well. He knew him better than anyone else, after all. Shawn slept through his first couple of classes, coughing and sneezing up a storm, and in Cory's typical dramatic way, he informed the teacher that Shawn was ill and must see the nurse immediately.

Shawn had protested loudly, but Cory paid this no mind, and marched him straight to the nurse's office. The nurse had taken his temperature and immediately told him that he should go home and rest. Shawn continued to protest, but Cory took off running down the hall to Turner's classroom.

Turner called Feeny's office and informed him of the situation, and he called in a substitute to cover his classes for the day. He then called Amy, who had Wednesdays off her real estate job, and asked her to come pick them up, since he couldn't transport a sick kid on his motorcycle. She agreed, and Jon went to the nurse, who informed him that Shawn had a temperature and had vomited twice, and it might be the flu.

Jon was surprised, because Shawn had gotten his flu shot, and all his other shots, when he moved in with him. Shawn hadn't ever had most of them. But he knew that it wouldn't make Shawn completely immune to the virus.

Jon rubbed his eyes as he stumbled to the kitchen to make some coffee. He was worried about the kid. Not just the flu, because he knew it would pass eventually. Shawn seemed a little too quiet, even for a sick person. He had a feeling Shawn wasn't telling him something.

Sometimes, Shawn kept his emotions inside because he didn't want to impose on Jon, no matter how many times Jon told him that he wanted to help. Sometimes it was because he wanted to just get over these problems that he had, and he wanted to handle everything himself.

Either way, Jon was going to talk to Shawn about whatever was bothering him when he woke up.

He was pouring himself a cup of coffee when a weak cry sounded from Shawn' room. Jon rushed into the boy's room to find Shawn tangled in his sheets, sweating profusely and curling up into the fetal position, as if to protect himself from invisible blows, whimpering and mumbling something incoherently.

Jon's heart broke for the kid he loved so much, and he realized that it never got any easier to watch Shawn suffer like this.

He sat down on the bed and wrapped his strong arms around the boy, pulling him close to his chest. "It's okay, kiddo. I won't let anyone hurt you, buddy. I'll keep you safe." He murmured, kissing his head and rocking him gently.

Shawn calmed down quickly, hugging Jon fiercely as he worked on steadying his breathing. When he had settled down a little, Jon asked quietly, "Do you want to tell me what it was about?"

Shawn was silent for a moment.

Jon told him gently, "Shawn, you know you can tell me anything, right, little buddy?"

"Yeah, I know." Shawn took a deep breath. "Uhmm, usually, when I get sick, my dad gets really mad…I used to get sick a lot. I tried really hard not to, but I threw up once when my dad locked me in the closet. He was really mad…he shoved my face in it and beat me." He shuddered at the memory. "I told him I was sorry." He bit his lip, hard, and his eyes filled with tears.

Jon fought the pure fury that came with the mention of Chet abusing Shawn. "Listen to me, Shawn." He said firmly. "You have nothing to apologize for. You were sick. Your father is the one who should apologize. Don't ever think that anything he did to you was your fault. He was the one who was wrong. Not you. Okay, kiddo?"

"Okay." Shawn said quietly. Jon could tell that he was trying to convince himself.

"Alright, little buddy. C'mon, I'll make some chicken soup. Try and eat some, okay?"

Shawn was about to reply when the sound of knocking came from the front door. Getting up to see who it was, Jon walked out to the living room and opened the door to reveal none other than Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence.

"Hey, Mr. Turner." Topanga greeted with a smile.

"Where's my Shawn? Is he okay? Have you been taking care of him?" Cory asked frantically.

Jon smiled, amused at Cory's antics. "Hey, Matthews. Hey, Topanga."

"You didn't answer my question." Cory said suspiciously, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Shawn emerged from his room at the sound of his friends' voices and saved Jon from answering. "I'm right here, I am okay, and yes, he's been taking care of me, Cor." He replied, grinning at his best friend.

"Shawnie!" Cory cheered, rushing to him.

Topanga followed behind. "How are you feeling, Shawn?" Topanga asked kindly.

Shawn sneezed for what seemed to him like the thousandth time that day. "I'm alright." Cory immediately produced a box of tissues from a plastic bag. "Thanks, Cory." Shawn blew his nose. "What's in the bag?"

"Everything a sick Shawn Hunter could possibly need!" Cory announced. "I got two boxes of tissues, five cans of soup, three bottles of cough syrup, and some Tylenol. Also, a bunch of comics, video games, and a new notebook."

"Alright, Cory!" Shawn cheered enthusiastically.

"Who's your best friend?"

"You are. You always will be." Shawn smiled.

Jon smiled, too, because Shawn hadn't smiled this much since… Well, the last time he saw Cory. He thanked the heavens above for this kid who loved Shawn as much as he did.

Alright, guys. Sorry it's so short, I'll try to make my next chapter longer. Please Read and Review! Constructive Criticism welcome. Tell me what you want this story to include, I would love to hear your ideas! And to those of you who think you've seen the last of Chet Hunter, this story is going to include more of him. You haven't seen anything yet. * evil laughter in the background *


	7. Be Strong For Me

Where The Heart Is

Chapter 7

Hey guys! I hope you're all well. This chapter is rewarding all your remarkable patience, wonderful reviews, and lovely follows/favorites – it's longer than any other chapter yet! I wasn't going to post this until Chapter 10, but I think the time is right now. Plus, I needed an extra long chapter so here we are. Warnings include GRAPHIC child physical and emotional abuse, angst, a heroic Cory and a very emotional Jon. Please Read and Review!

It was a long week later when Shawn finally felt much better. Jon had been worried about him, but it seemed he no longer had a reason to be. Shawn was physically healthy, and happier than ever without the constant threat of danger that had lurked over him when he'd had contact with Chet. He was doing well in school, bringing home almost all solid B's, excluding a C in Geometry, which he was struggling with, and an A in English.

His grades in English had improved dramatically since the students had started the poetry unit. The notebook Cory had bought him when he was sick was now almost full. He showed most of them to Jon, and occasionally Cory. Some he just kept to himself, because writing was something he did to free himself of negative emotions, and he did that for himself only.

It was Shawn's first day back to school, and Jon's first day back to work. He had taken the week off to help Shawn while he was sick. Neither really wanted to return. Shawn liked school better now that he had motivation (the trip to Europe the following summer) and positive reinforcement (the good grades he got when he worked hard). The proud look on Jon's face when he brought home good grades kept him going. But as a teenager, he thought the only good part of school was that he had most of his classes with Cory. Otherwise it was just a chore, like cleaning his room and washing the dishes. Jon just didn't want to see how much work had accumulated while he was absent. At least Shawn had a half a day today, due to Teacher's Development Day. Jon had to work late.

The sound of the doorbell ringing repeatedly sounded throughout the apartment. Shawn ran to the door, knowing it was his best friend in the world. He swung the door open in excitement. "Cory!" He grinned enthusiastically.

"Shawnie!" Cory exclaimed excitedly. "Thank goodness. I don't have to be alone with Feeny anymore."

Shawn laughed. "Come on buddy." He said, grabbing his backpack from the living room couch and his jacket from the hook by the door. "See ya in English class, Jon."

"Okay, buddy. Have a good day, alright?"

"I will. You too!"

The door closed behind the two boys, and Jonathan sipped his coffee and grabbed his motorcycle helmet. He was just heading out when he remembered that he didn't check the machine for messages from his lawyer. He had spoken with him the previous week. His lawyer, Ryan Ganovski, was concerned that Chet hadn't sent the guardianship papers back yet. He was going to call Chet and see what was going on. Jonathan had brushed it off as regular, irresponsible Chet taking his time, but he hadn't heard back from Ganovski yet.

He walked back to the kitchen and checked for any missed calls or voicemails. To his surprise, there were five missed calls and three voicemails. All from Ganovski. The first call came shortly after Jon went to bed last night. The most recent call and voicemail message was from about twenty minutes before Jon even got up.

Jon got a sick feeling in his stomach as he stared at the blinking numbers on the machine. If a lawyer calls you after 8 p.m or before 8 a.m, something is very wrong.

He slowly pushed the button so he could hear the voicemails. Beep. "Hello, Jonathan Turner, it's your lawyer, Ryan Ganovski. I have some urgent news concerning Shawn Hunter's guardianship papers. If you could please give me a call back at your earliest convenience, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you. Goodbye."

The next message, left around midnight, followed another beep. "Sir, I apologize for calling so late, but I have some concerning news involving Chet and Shawn Hunter. Please call me back as soon as possible. Thank you."

Last message. "Mr. Jonathan Turner, this is Ryan Ganovski. Please give me call back as soon as possible. It's quite urgent. Thank you." He was starting to sound very concerned now.

Jon swallowed hard and took a deep breath before picking up the phone and dialing his lawyer's office number. The phone rang twice before the older man picked up.

"Hello? Mr. Jonathan Turner, is this you?" Ganovski sounded a little out of breath.

"Yes, it's me." Jon replied, trying to keep his worry out of his voice. "You called to tell me there was urgent news about Shawn's guardianship papers?"

"Yes, sir. I was working late last night when my secretary brought me an envelope that someone had left at her desk for me. Inside was the guardianship papers that I had sent over to Chet Hunter. On the back of the packet, someone, I presume it to be Chet, wrote "THIS IS NOT OVER." in red ink. Sir, this letter was hand delivered to my office last night. As you know, my office is only two hours away from your residence. I believe that Mr. Hunter refused to sign the papers and left this message because he intends to claim parental rights to Shawn Hunter."

Jon's heart stopped beating for a minute and his blood ran cold. His mind was racing a thousand miles per minute as terror clawed at his insides.

"Mr. Turner, I understand how hard it must be to hear this. Please know I am going everything I can to prevent this. I have reported the physical and mental abuse to the Department of Children and Family Services, but they are saying that it's merely allegations unless there is physical proof. Unfortunately, what I have also found out is that you have no legal claim to Shawn without these papers being signed. I'm appealing to a judge in the child's best interest, but I don't believe there is much more I can do. I'm very sorry, sir."

Shawn. He needed to go to Shawn. He had to protect the kid he loved so much.

Jonathan Turner dropped the phone and took off running. He grabbed his keys and his helmet, snapping it on as he ran. He jumped on his motorcycle and shoved the keys into the ignition, speeding off into the road. He had to get to Shawn as quickly as possible.

A record breaking five minutes later, Jon burst into John Adams High and ran to his classroom. George Feeny was teaching Jon's third period English class. Jon ran to the front of the class.

Feeny turned to looked at Mr. Turner. Jon was sure that he looked like a mess, but he was too overwhelmed to care. "George." He said quickly, trying to catch his breath. "We need to talk." The bell rang just then, and Mr. Feeny dismissed the students and they left the classroom.

"Jonathan, whatever is the matter?" Feeny asked, genuinely concerned for both his teacher, whom he had never seen quite this panicked, and his young student, because if Jon was showing this much emotion, the situation had to involve Shawn Hunter.

"It's Chet. He wants to take Shawn from me."

It was just plain bad luck that that was the moment Shawn and Cory stepped in the classroom to ask Mr. Feeny a question about second period History homework.

Feeny and Turner hadn't even noticed them enter when they heard a familiar voice.

"He's back?" Shawn asked shakily. He sounded terrified, and Jon quickly turned and crossed the classroom in an automatic instinct to protect the boy he cared so much about.

He pulled a shaking Shawn into his arms and held him tightly. "It's gonna be okay, kiddo. Everything is going to be alright. I love you and I'm gonna fight to keep you safe." He murmured, the raw emotion taking over him.

Cory, who had been standing there shell-shocked, snapped out of his daze and yelled angrily. "He can't do this! Mr. Feeny, tell Mr. Turner that Chet can't do this! I mean, Shawn's safe now…right?" He asked desperately.

Mr. Feeny covered his mouth with his hand, debating on what to say next. "Mr. Matthews, the world is a good place, but bad things can happen here. People make poor choices. The only thing we can do to help is make the right ones, the one your heart tells you is the right thing to do. Only then can you change the world for the better."

Cory looked frustrated. "But how do you stop people from making bad choices and doing bad things?"

"You don't." Mr. Feeny said simply. "You counteract the bad decisions with good ones, and you try hard to do the right thing." He himself was trying to stay level-headed, knowing that Shawn, Cory, and even Turner needed him to be the person with his head firmly on his shoulders in this trying time.

Cory turned to Mr. Turner. "Will you do everything you can to keep Shawn safe?"

"Yeah, Matthews. I will." Jon answered, rubbing Shawn's back as he sobbed. And he would, he vowed to himself. He would do anything he needed to, anything at all, to keep the kid he loved more than anything in this world safe.

Confident that his best friend was in the best possible hands, Cory ran to the pay phone in the hallway and dialed his home number. It was a Wednesday, so his mom had the day off of her real estate job. He told his mom he was coming home early and hung up. He started walking home, fighting back tears of his own. Mr. Feeny didn't stop him, knowing that Cory needed some time to process the situation and think about what he had said.

Feeny turned to Jon and told him quietly, "Go home, Jonathan. But keep me informed." Jon nodded and steered Shawn towards the exit.

The drive home was tense, each wrapped in their own worries and fears about the situation. Shawn clung tightly to Jon, and not just because they were on the motorcycle. Jon took comfort in knowing that Shawn was here, and in this moment, he was okay. But it was terrifying knowing that Shawn could be ripped away at any moment.

When they arrived back at the apartment, they sat on the couch. Jon turned on the television and Shawn, feeling numb, stood up and went to his room to grab his notebook.

An hour later, Shawn was writing furiously in his notebook and Jon was cooking dinner. The same sense of terror and dread and just not knowing lingered, but keeping busy was necessary to keeping themselves calm, or as calm as possible considering the circumstances, anyway.

A loud knock at the door startled them both out their respective states of fear, and dread settled in both of their hearts. They both knew what was coming next. Shawn stood up and bolted to his room in pure terror. Jon's heart was beating so fast and so hard that he worried that he was having some sort of heart attack. He slowly walked to the door and looked through the peephole. There stood Chet Hunter, glaring at the door, surrounded by police officers.

Jon's heart came to a stop. This was it. Chet Hunter was going to demand custody of Shawn. And who knew what could happen to the kid from there? He closed his eyes to fight the images that flooded his brain.

He opened the door slowly. He asked what was happening. He was trying to be calm, but his voice gave away his heartbreak.

"Sir, Mr. Chet Hunter is here to reclaim his son. He has full parental rights over Shawn Patrick Hunter. Please bring him to us immediately."

"Do you know what this man did to his own son?!" Jon snapped. "He beat him, locked him in the closet, he whipped him with a belt, he broke a bottle over his head! He told him that he was worthless and stupid and a mistake! He even shoved his own child's face into vomit. Then he abandoned him. And you want to take him from me, and return him to this worthless excuse for a man's care?"

Chet's eyes were full of fury, but he smirked at Jon. Jon was overwhelmed with the urge to punch this idiot in the face.

"Sir, I understand that you're upset. But Mr. Hunter has custody of Shawn. Refusing to give him over to us will only make the situation worse."

"Well then, this situation is going to get worse, because I will not willingly hand over the kid I love and want to protect to a psychopath who traumatized him." Jon spat.

One of the police officers stepped forward. "Sir, do you remember me?" He asked calmly.

Jon looked at him for a moment before the memory of the night Shawn was brought to him by a cop who said that Shawn claimed he was staying with him. That was almost a year ago, before Shawn came to live with Jon. This was the same officer.

"Yes, sir." He said calmly, keeping an eye on Chet.

"Mr. Turner, I want to get your side of the story. You can file a police report against Mr. Hunter through me. But if this kid is already traumatized, he doesn't need to see you this angry. He needs you to be as calm and soothing as possible. You understand that, don't you?"

Jonathan watched as the other two officers began to search the apartment. Chet stepped forward and Jon glared at him. "Get out." He growled fiercely.

"Sir, back up." Officer James, according to his tag anyway, ordered Chet.

Jon heard the other officers entering Shawn's room. "Found him!" One of them shouted.

"C'mon, Hunter. Get out from under there." The other one ordered. When a muffled sob was his only reply, the officers reached under the bed and grabbed him.

Shawn screamed and struggled against them, but they were stronger and they dragged him out and pushed him into the living room.

"Shawn!" Jon yelled, trying to push past Officer James and get to the terrified kid.

"Jon!" Shawn yelled. "Please help me, please, Jon!"

Officer James signaled to his partners. "Kennedy. Charles." He gestured to Jon. "See if he can talk Shawn down."

The other officers let go of Shawn, who ran over to Jon and clung to him. "Please don't make me leave. I'm sorry! I'll be good." His words were breaking Jon's heart.

Jon took ahold of Shawn's shoulders. "Listen to me, kiddo. I don't want you to leave, okay? I love you so much, and I want you to stay here with me forever. You don't have to be sorry, 'cause you did nothing to deserve this. You are already good. You are such a good kid, Shawn. Please remember that. And please know that no matter what happens from here, I will get you back. You'll be back with me before you know it, okay?" He pulled Shawn in for a hug and kissed his head. "I love you, kiddo. You are the strongest person I have ever known. So be strong for me, okay?" He murmured.

Shawn nodded. "I love you too. And I'll be strong." The rest of his words stuck in his throat.

Jon struggled to smile through his pain. "I know you will." He said.

Chet cleared his throat. The sound made Shawn tense in Jon's arms.

Officer James, who had watched quietly, was approached by the other two officers, who spoke quietly to him. He sighed heavily. "Okay, Shawn. It's time to go." He said, feeling sad for both Shawn and Jon. He believed that something was very wrong with Chet and Shawn's relationship. No child would be that terrified to see their father if they didn't have a good reason to be. And no matter the circumstance, no child should be torn away from someone who loves them the way that Jon loved Shawn. It was wrong, and it was why he hated his job sometimes. Sometimes, the law is on the wrong side of things. This is one of those times.

Shawn bravely lifted his head from Jon's shoulder. He took a deep breath and stepped away from his protector and towards the monster he called his father. "I'm ready." He lied.

Chet held out his arms and waited for Shawn to run into them the way he might've a year ago. But he had grown exponentially in the past few months. He no longer believed the lie that his father was trying to get him to play along with. He knew the real monster behind the façade. He knew that his father didn't love him the way he wanted him to, the way he needed to be loved. He knew who his real family was.

And it wasn't Chet Hunter.

Shawn walked out with a feeling of being loved by his real family. By Jon, who comforted him when he had nightmares and was proud of him no matter what grades he brought home. By Cory, who provided lots of laughter and took care of him when he was sick. By the Matthews, who had his best interests at heart. By Topanga, who helped him study. By Eli, who encouraged him to express himself. And by Feeny, who pushed him to do his best no matter what. He was loved. And as long as he was loved, he could get through anything.

The door closed behind Shawn. Officer James took his statement and promised to report it to The Department of Children and Family Services. And Jon fell apart.

It was close to twenty minutes later when he got himself together enough to decide that he needed help. He needed to be close to people who loved Shawn as much as he did. He called Eli and asked to meet him at the Matthews and ran outside and headed there on his motorcycle. He broke a few traffic laws on the way, but he didn't care.

Meanwhile, Chet thanked the officers for dropping them off at the Pink Flamingo Trailer Park, explaining that they were going to stay with "family", and thanking them for "giving back my Slim Jim…I dunno what I'd do without this kid."

Shawn was terrified, but he tried not to show it. He knew that his father wasn't drunk yet. But if they were staying with a "family" member or "friend of the family", then his father could easily remedy that.

His father waved as they drove off, his grip on Shawn's shoulder tightening with each passing moment. Finally, they were gone.

The forced smile on Chet Hunter's face dropped instantly. He turned around and slapped Shawn hard across the face, leaving a red handprint. Shawn cried out. He knew, as his father screamed obscenities at him for embarrassing him, that this was only the beginning of a long night.

Chet took a tight grip on Shawn's neck and pushed him in front. They passed several trailers on the way to his destination. Cousin Stan, the medical "professional" who didn't pass his medical school finals, watching television. Old Man Franks, the grumpy neighbor, who was sweeping the steps and yelling at his cat. The spot where the family trailer used to be. And finally, Uncle Mike's repair shop, where Uncle Mike was just finishing detailing a customer's car. He glanced up as they walked by, doing a double take when he saw Shawn. His eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions, Shawn noticed. Regret, shame, grief, disappointment. But above all…Guilt.

He didn't get a chance to think about why his uncle was feeling all of those emotions because Chet was opening the trailer door and Mrs. Evans was standing in front of him, looking almost as scared as he was.

"Woman, where's my fucking whiskey? I told you to have an ice cold whiskey in my hand the second I walked in here. Are you getting it for me, or are you too stupid to get what I'm sayin'?" He barked at her.

Shawn remembered when his mom was still here. Chet treated him mom the same way as he treated Mrs. Evans, who he was probably having an affair with. When he was little, he tried to stand up to his daddy. He would bravely take the beating for his mommy. When Chet figured out what he was doing, his father would lock him in the closet when he beat his mother.

He had felt so helpless and guilty as he banged on the closet door with his little fists.

Mrs. Evans hurried to get Chet's whiskey, either not knowing it would make things worse, or just too scared to say no to the larger man. Shawn understood the latter. He had been that way too, most of the time, when he had lived with his father.

Chet took it from her and took a swig.

Four bottles of whiskey later, the alcoholic was drunker than Shawn had seen him in a long time. As he drank, he had told Shawn that he was such a worthless little bastard, that he didn't know why he bothered to take him back. He said that he was an ugly little shit and a drunken mistake to boot. The worst mistake he had ever made was telling "Elaine the stripper" not to get an abortion.

Shawn was confused. His mother's name was Verna, and as far as he knew, she had never been a stripper.

While he doubted that the information about his mother was anything more than a alcoholic's confusion, the names Chet was calling him were ones that he had heard all his life. But something inside of him remembered Jon's words. He couldn't just accept that what his father said was final anymore. He knew, even if he didn't feel, that he was not worthless. He wouldn't have such amazing people around him if he was. He wasn't a little bastard, he was Jon's little buddy. He knew that his father was probably drunk and had low impulse control, and wanted a punching bag to take his aggression out on, and that's why he decided to take him back. He knew that he wasn't ugly, or a little shit, and he was not a mistake. But knowing something doesn't always change how you feel inside.

Suddenly, without warning, Chet got up and punched Shawn in the stomach. Shawn fell to the ground, groaning in pain. Before Shawn could so much as blink, his father kicked him in the head with as much force as he could muster. Shawn felt the blunt trauma knock him nearly unconscious. For a moment, he welcomed the idea of it. At least that way the pain would be over quickly.

But fate had other plans, and while he felt dazed and confused, he stayed awake. All of the safety and security he had gained while living with Jon vanished, and he felt himself slip back into survival mode. He curled up in the fetal position to protect himself from blows that could damage his internal organs.

His mind found a way to protect himself, too. When he was little, and there were more bad times than good, he sang lyrics to preschool songs in his head. As he got older, and met Cory, his life had brightened somewhat, and his imagination flourished. He fantasized about comic book heroes coming to save him and making him their sidekick. When he felt he grew too old for that kind of foolishness, he memorized good times and replayed them during his beatings. It was a type of escape; while he still registered the pain, he wasn't as focused on it, and he was able to free himself, if only in his mind.

Through the haze of what Shawn believed to be a concussion, he heard Mrs. Evans crying quietly in the corner. He tasted coppery blood from his split lip and salty tears. He hadn't even realized that he was crying. He smelled his father's signature stench of alcohol and cheap cologne. He felt the cold floor beneath him, and he welcomed it, as he was sweating. He was dizzy, so he only saw blurry images of his father's rage.

It was enough to make him wonder, however briefly, if he would survive this one.

He pushed that thought out of his mind and concentrated on positive memories. He picked the time that Shawn invited Cory over to hang out with Jon and Eli. They had been watching the Phillie's game. They had won, and Jon had taken them to celebrate with a pizza from Chubbie's.

He clung to the memory with all the strength he had left.

Over at the Matthews' residence, Jon was describing the situation to the Matthews, Feeny,and Eli. When he had finally finished, Eli gave him a hug and told him that it was all going to be alright, that Shawn was a strong kid. He would persevere through this. Amy was sobbing and Alan and Eli were close to tears themselves. Even Mr. Feeny was looking pained. Jon's heart was breaking in his chest. It felt like a part of him had been ripped away and he didn't know if it was safe.

They were all so wrapped up in their own grief that none of them noticed Cory standing at the top of the steps, listening. Cory turned and quietly made his way up the stairs, tears slipping down his face. He snuck into his bedroom. His brother Eric was in the bathroom. Cory took a deep breath and copied what he had seen his best friend do numerous times. He opened the window and reached out for the tree.

Just then, Eric came out of the bathroom and caught his younger brother. "Cor, are you sneaking out? Let me guess, you got a hot date with Topanga?" He joked.

Cory froze and stared at Eric. "How can you even joke at a time like this?" He half-yelled.

Eric stared blankly. "At a time like what, exactly?"

Cory considered his options. If he left without telling Eric, Eric would tell their Mom and Dad. If he told Eric, maybe there was a chance that he'd cover for him.

He decided on the latter. "Shawn's in trouble."

"Shawn's always in trouble." Eric said slowly, as if he was talking to someone of lesser intelligence.

"Not like this, Eric. His dad is back in town. He took Shawn from Mr. Turner. He could really be hurt!"

"Yeah, so could you, if you go to that trailer park alone." Eric said, worried about his little brother and his surrogate little brother.

Eric was older than Cory when the younger had brought Shawn Hunter home. The first thing he had noticed was the hand shaped bruise on his wrist. It was a purplish green, and it made Eric feel sick. He was older and wiser than his little brother. He figured it out way before Cory. He had been learning about Domestic Violence in Social Studies. Shawn's family, and even the trailer park they lived in, they were dangerous. Very dangerous.

Cory wasn't going there alone, and Eric knew he couldn't stop him from going.

The only choice Eric had was to go with him. He gestured for his younger brother to continue his way out the window and then followed him out.

It was almost fifteen minutes later when they arrived at the Pink Flamingo Trailer Park. Cory took off running toward where Shawn's trailer used to be, with Eric close behind him. In it's place, they found Shawn's half-brother, Eddie, and his gang.

"Hey, if it isn't Shawn's boyfriend." Eddie cackled.

Before Cory could react, Eric had invaded Eddie's personal space, and the older gang member was backing away slowly. "Listen to me, kid. I don't know who you are, and I don't care. But if you don't tell me where Shawn Hunter is, I will personally become very familiar to you." Eric said seriously.

"I ain't scared of you." Eddie spat.

"Maybe you should be." Eric said seriously, grabbing a hold of his shirt.

After a tense moment, an unfamiliar voice rang out. "He's at the Evans' place." The gruff voice informed them.

Cory and Eric turned around to see a large, intimidating-looking man wearing a greasy uniform with a name tag reading, "Big Mike."

"I'm Shawn's Uncle Mike." He introduced himself. Eric let Eddie go, and the gang just slunk away, muttering dark threats. "You must be Cory. Last time I saw you, you were even tinier than you are now."

Cory vaguely recalled meeting this guy before when he and Shawn were little, but he didn't care much at that moment. "Look, where's the Evans' place, Mr. Mike? Shawn needs help."

Almost as if on cue, the sound of screaming came from the house one trailer down. Chills ran down both boys' spines as they recognized the one who made the sound as Shawn.

Cory took off running once more, the terror causing his heart to pound with adrenaline. Eric looked Shawn's Uncle Mike in the eye. "I need you to do something for me. I need to use your phone to call the police. Both your nephew and my little brother are in serious danger." Uncle Mike hesitated. "Please, sir. Do it for Shawn. He needs you now." Eric said seriously.

Uncle Mike flashed back to the little boy who he helped potty train and eat with utensils. His brother's child was always special. There was always something about him that said that he didn't belong in this trailer park, that he didn't deserve the cruel life he'd lived so far.

Mike opened the door to his trailer and pointed at the phone. Eric bolted in and grabbed the receiver, dialing 911 as quickly as he could with his shaking fingers. "Hello, I need the police and probably anbulance,my little brother's best friend, Shawn Hunter, is being physically assaulted by his father, Chet Hunter. Please come to Pink Flamingo Trailer Park as quickly as you can."

"They are on their way." The dispatcher replied. Eric breathed a sigh of relief and hung up. He then dialed his home number. "Mom, Dad? It's Eric. Cory and I went to the trailer park to help Shawn. He'sbeing hurt, badly, I think. I already called the police, they're on the way. Please bring Mr. Turner and Eli and Feeny and get here quick. I love you guys." He hung up again, not giving his mom a chance to speak. He started to run towards the Evans' trailer, but stopped first and looked Uncle Mike in the eye. "Thank you, Mister." He said sincerely. Mike nodded, and Eric followed his brother next door.

Cory looked through the dirty window to see a horrible sight. There, lying on the ground bleeding, was his best friend. There was a woman cowering and crying in the corner, and Chet Hunter was standing between them, aggressively and savagely beating his son.

He ran to the door of the trailer and rattled it. It was locked. Cory cursed and looked around. Finally, he saw a large rock and grabbed it. He threw it at the window like he would a baseball. It shattered, and all three occupants of the trailer stared at him.

For a moment, he lost his breath. The rage in Chet's eyes almost paralyzed him. But the rage in Cory grew as he watched his best friend uncurl from the fetal position and rasp, "Run, Cory!"

"No!" He yelled fiercely. "I'm not scared of you, Chet! You're nothing but a bully!"

Chet Hunter took a step towards him, but before he could move any farther, Shanw mustered the rest of his strength and resolve to reach out and grab his ankle, redirecting his abuser to his original target. Chet delivered a swift kick to the ribs. Cory heard a snapping sound and a unnatural gasp from Shawn, who was now struggling to breathe. Chet spat on him and kicked his head, hard, one more time.

Shawn surrendered to unconsciousness.

The police sirens wailing in the background seemed to jerk Chet out of his drunken state. He grabbed Mrs. Evans and slapped her. "Why'd you call the fucking cops, bitch?!" He demanded.

"I swear, I didn't!" She cried out, shaking in his grip.

"I did." Eric yelled.

Chet turned. "Why you little shits…" He took another step and pulled out a pocketknife but then froze as the cop cars pulled up.

The police drew their guns. "Drop your weapon! Get on the ground!"

Chet dropped the knife and lowered himself to the ground just as the Matthews, Eli, and Jon pulled up in the Matthews' car. Jon jumped out and made to run inside the trailer and get Shawn, but Eli held on to him. "Let the police do their job, Jon."

The police ascended the metal steps to Chet, handcuffed him, and pulled him up on out of the trailer. Officer James escorted him to the car. Jon saw him, and seething with rage, he walked over and punched him in the face, and heard a satisfying crack as Chet's jaw broke.

Eli and Alan pulled him away quickly,but not before the damage was done.

"He just punched me, Officer!" Chet screamed angrily.

Officer James stared at him, faking a confused look. "What do you mean? You tripped and fell as we were coming down the steps. Flimsy stairs." He then shoved him into the backseat of the cop car. Walking to the front of the police vehicle, he tipped his hat to Jon. "You take care of your boy, Turner."

"He will, Officer." Eli answered, baffled by this cop who just saved his best friend from a prison sentence. He turned to Jon as Officer James sped off with Chet. "Man, you got lucky. Don't do that again." But Jon's attention was elsewhere.

The paramedics had entered the trailer during the scuffle and were now bringing Shawn out on a stretcher.

The boy was a mess. Just from what his family could see, he had a black eye, a split lip, and swelling all over - on his jaw, hip, leg, arm, and chest. He was desperately struggling to breathe.

Jon was petrified.

The Matthews were crying.

Eli had his arm around Jon, but was having trouble comforting his friend when he was almost as upset as him.

Even Feeny looked visibly shaken.

The paramedics lifted Shawn into the back of the ambulance. Jon ran toward them before they closed the door, looking at Shawn's battered and bruised form. "I need to go with him." He said desperately.

The paramedic shook her head. "Sorry, sir. Family only."

"I am his family! Screw DNA, that's my kid!" Jon exploded.

Alan ran over. "Jon, they need to get Shawn to the hospital. They can't afford to stand here arguing over semantics." Jon surrendered, stepping back and letting them speed off. "C'mon, Jon. Let's go to the hospital. We'll meet them there."

Four hours later, it was close to midnight, and they were at the hospital. Jon was pacing around the emergency room as they all waited anxiously for news.

A doctor stepped out of the operating room and into the waiting room. "Shawn Hunter's family."

They all stood quickly. "Yes?" Jon answered quickly.

The doctor looked at them strangely, but didn't question them. "Shawn is in critical but stable condition. He has been moved to the ICU, our Intensive Care Unit. His multiple injuries are serious, but only one was life threatening. He had a punctured lung from a broken rib. Typically when the lung is punctured, it leads to a traumatic pneumothorax, or a collection of air between the lung tissue and the chest cavity, or pleural space. We immediately put him on supplemental oxygen, as is procedure. It's a small puncture wound, which may even heal on it's own. Right now, we're going to observe him, see how he heals. He also had three fractured ribs, a dislocated jaw, a fractured right arm, dislocated left hip, and a fractured leg and a fractured skull. He has a moderate to severe concussion. But, barring any further trauma, we believe that Shawn will make a full recovery."

"Thank God," Turner breathed. The whole group sighed in relief as well. "When can we see him?" He added quickly, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"We are observing him from twenty-four to forty-eight hours before we allow most visitors. But when Shawn regains consciousness, he will likely be very distressed. This was a traumatic event. So hospital policy dictates that a minor can have one visitor, that will help ground him in the event that he wakes up and needs a familiar face."

Everyone turned to Jon. "You need to be that person, buddy." Eli said softly. The others all nodded.

Jon nodded wordlessly, and the doctor led him to the ICU, room 117B, where Shawn was staying. Jon took a deep breath and stepped in and looked down on the boy that he loved like a son.

"Hey, kiddo." He whispered, him voice raw with emotion. "I'm here."

There it is, guys! Hope you enjoyed. Quick note- SHAWN IS NOT GOING TO DIE. OKAY? I'm not that evil. Next chapter might be shorter so I can get it up much more quickly. I'm aiming to update each of my fics once per month, but you'll hear more about that when I know more about it. Also, can I just say quickly that in the Girl Meets World finale, when Turner and Shawn hugged and smiled, and Turner was acting like such a proud father, and he said that he told Shawn to adopt Maya because he had always regretted that he didn't adopt Shawn… I sobbed hysterically. Seriously. My roommates were like, "Are you okay, kid?"…I wasn't okay. Anyways, please Read and Review, friends!


	8. I'll Always Be Here For You

Where The Heart Is

Chapter 8

A/N: hey guys! Hope you're all doing great. Here it is, chapter eight, another long one! Thanks for your patience. Warnings include semi-graphic descriptions of child abuse. Also, a ridiculous amount of fluff, and a moment that you've all been waiting for! I hope I did it justice. Please Read & Review, friends!

The last thirty-nine hours of torture had been the worst experience of Jonathan Turner's life. The kid he loved more than anything in this world was laying unconscious in a hospital bed, hooked up to wires and machines that were keeping his vitals stable. Shawn had yet to wake up, but doctors assured Jon that it wouldn't be long before he regained consciousness.

Eight cups of coffee, hours of failed attempts to rest, and a lot of heartache and pain later, Jon was sitting by Shawn's bed, holding his hand as he had been for many hours now. Shawn began to fidget as he slowly awoke from his forced slumber, his brow furrowing as he began to feel the pain from his multiple injuries.

When he felt the boy's hand begin to twitch under his, Jon jolted upright in the uncomfortable hospital chair sat next to Shawn's bed. His eyes widened and his heart started racing. "Shawn?!" He whispered, finding himself unable to speak above a whisper. Shaking his head to rid himself of the stress and fatigue, he cleared his throat and spoke louder. "Shawn?"

Shawn started shaking uncontrollably at the sound of his name. He began to whimper quietly, mumbling something along the lines of, "Please stop," and a little louder and more forcefully, "Go away!" He tried to curl up to protect himself from blows that only he could remember, but Jon reached out to soothe him, afraid that Shawn might pull out the I.V tube.

The feel of someone touching his arm made Shawn start kicking and screaming in terror, the adrenaline pumping through his veins shielding him from the pain coming from his multiple injuries. The nurses rushed in, but the doctor, seeing that Jon was trying to calm him, decided to give Jon a few minutes to calm Shawn down before he stepped in and gave the order to sedate him.

Jon held Shawn's hand tightly in one hand and stroked his hair with the other, wishing he could wrap the kid in his arms, as he tried to soothe his traumatized charge. "Shawn, kiddo, listen to me. It's me, Jon. I won't let anyone hurt you, little buddy. It's all going to be okay, all right? I'm right here beside you." When Shawn seemed to slowly return to reality and began to calm down, the doctor nodded his approval for the nurses to leave Shawn's hospital room.

He continued to observe their interaction, however, taking mental notes. He saw how Shawn was clinging desperately to Jon's hand as he wheezed, his still healing lungs in great pain from the exertion of screaming. He gazed on as Jon leaned down to kiss the teenager's forehead. He watched as Shawn immediately reached out for comfort, receiving a careful but loving hug in return.

The doctor smiled. He'd seen everything he needed to see. Jonathan Turner obviously cared for Shawn, and he was clearly more than able to calm Shawn down when needed. He walked out to go see his next patient.

Jon squeezed Shawn's hand gently. "I missed you, kiddo." He said softly.

"I missed you too." Shawn said quietly. "I didn't think I would ever see you again."

Jon's heart clenched in his chest as he watched the teenager start crying. He was close to tears, himself. "Oh, Shawn…" He sighed, carefully wrapping an arm around the boy's shaking shoulders. "It's all going to be okay now, buddy. Your father can never hurt you again. Ever. All right? Chet is going to jail for what he did to you, and you are coming home with me where you belong."

"You still want me to live with you?" Shawn asked through his tears, obviously confused.

Jon's brow furrowed. "Of course I do, Shawn. What made you think that I wouldn't?"

" 'Cause I'm bad. I'm stupid and worthless and a screw up. I even used to fail tests and run away and yell at you. And I wake you up in the middle of the night screaming bloody murder for no reason. I guess I thought that this was a good opportunity for you to finally get rid of me." He mumbled.

"Shawn…" Jon sighed heavily. "These past thirty-nine hours were the hardest experience of my entire life. I was terrified not knowing where you were or whether or not you were safe." His voice cracked. "When your father took you from me, it was as if he had stolen the most important part of me. You are the most important part of me, kiddo. You are not bad. You are good. You are the most wonderful, amazing, smart, funny, creative, loyal kid I have ever had the pleasure of loving, okay? You are not, under any circumstances, worthless or stupid or a 'screw up.' And those nightmares? I would rather wake up every night for the rest of my life than let you suffer through this pain alone. As for those things that you did in the past, I loved you back when you were in full rebellion mode, and I still love you now. So, so much, kiddo. Nothing you could ever do could make me love you any less. Nothing. You hear me?"

Shawn buried his head in Jon's shirt. "You promise?" He asked, his voice muffled but vulnerable.

"Yeah, buddy. I promise." Jon kissed the top of Shawn's head.

Just as he finished speaking, Shawn's head nurse walked in.

"Hello, Shawn! My name is Ann, and I am your head nurse. So anything you need, I am the gal to talk to! How are you feeling, honey?" The pretty young nurse, about Jon's age, asked kindly.

Shawn looked up at her, wiping his tears on the sleeves of the hospital scrubs, and answered quietly, "Okay, I guess."

Jon looked down at Shawn, disbelieving. He could see a subtle mixture of pain, exhaustion, and determination written in his features. If Shawn was in pain, why wouldn't he mention it so that the doctor and the nurses can help?

Then he remembered how Shawn had refused to tell Jon that he had a terrible headache while he was sick. Until Jon had seen how uncomfortable he was and asked him if he was hurting. Even then, Shawn had tried to hide it from him, later admitting that his dad had told him to "stop being such a pussy" whenever he was in pain. He didn't want Jon to think he was weak.

"Shawn," he said quietly, "It's okay to be in pain, kiddo. Everyone knew you would be in pain when you woke up. You're not weak, little buddy. You're so strong, Shawn, stronger than anyone I've ever known. And it's all right to ask for help."

Shawn nodded slowly, swallowing hard before asking, "Actually, I'm hurting a bit, ma'am. Can I have some pain medication?"

She smiled softly. "Please, call me Ann, sweetie. And yes, I can give you something for the pain." She turned to leave so that she could ask the doctor which medicine to give him when she hesitated and turned around and said to Shawn, "You're a very brave guy. And you are very loved. Those people in the waiting room can't wait to see you. I hope you remember that."

Jon smiled at the woman, silently thanking her for her kind words. Shawn smiled at her, too. "Thank you ma'am – I mean, thank you Ann. I'll try not to forget it." He promised.

"Good." She winked at him in a friendly manner as she left the room.

Jon took a deep breath as he contemplated how to phrase the important question that he needed to ask Shawn. "Hey, kiddo?"

Shawn looked up at Jon, his hazel eyes questioning.

"The doctor explained that these pain meds might make you a little more tired, so I need to ask you something before you take them, okay?"

Shawn nodded, a little more worry in his expression.

Noticing this, Jon smiled and spoke reassuringly. "It's not a bad thing, little buddy."

The teenager relaxed a little but kept his guard up, just in case it wasn't good news.

Jon took Shawn's hand in his own and squeezed. "You know that I love you, kiddo. You know that I want you with me no matter what. I feel like you have a home with me, that you belong there. I want to protect you and take care of you and love you for the rest of my life. You know how much I want that, right?"

"Yeah." Shawn answered softly, still unsure where this was going.

"Well, part of loving somebody is wanting the best for them. I told you what I want more than anything in this world. But now I want to ask you what you want, Shawn."

"What do you mean?" Shawn asked, confused.

"Do you still want to stay with me forever, like you said before?"

Shawn looked at Jon like he had grown another head. "Yeah, of course I do Jon. You keep me safe. You gave me a bed to sleep on and food to eat and allowance to spend. You let me have Cory over. You helped me study, and I got my first A. We watch the Phillie's games together. I love living with you. I love you, you're like my - " He cut himself off quickly, scared that he'd crossed a line.

"Kiddo," Jon reached out to stroke Shawn's hair affectionately. "I love you more than I ever could have imagined loving anyone. You are like a son to me. I couldn't love you any more if you had been born to me, little buddy. I wish I could've been around to protect and love you back when you were a child, but I will tell you that even though I didn't spend the beginning of your life with you, I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, protecting you, and doing whatever I need to do to make you feel happy and loved."

Shawn started to cry again, unable to reply at first. Jon just wrapped his arm around Shawn and pressed a kiss to his forehead, holding him as he cried. When Shawn had calmed down sufficiently enough to communicate, he looked at Jon with tears in his eyes. "Promise you won't get mad when I tell you something?" He asked quietly.

"I won't be mad." Jon promised.

"I was going to say, 'I love you, you're like my dad.'" Shawn whispered, as if he may get in trouble. "Not like you hurt me or anything!" He added quickly, not wanting to offend Jon. "I meant that you're like the dad I always wanted."

Jon smiled and squeezed the boy's shoulders as his heart nearly exploded in happiness.

"Shawn, a lot of important people are going to ask both of us this question, so I want to ask you first, before they do. I want to know if you would consider making it official... by letting me adopt you."

Shawn looked up in mild disbelief. "You mean…like you would really be my dad?" He whispered, trying and failing to keep the hope out of his voice.

Jon grinned broadly. "Yeah, little buddy. It would be legal and everything. What do you say, kiddo?"

"I say… I say yeah!" Shawn grinned his characteristic grin, looking like his old self again. He reached out for a hug, nearly accidentally choking Jon in his excitement. "Thank you." He whispered.

Jon grinned widely. "The pleasure is all mine, kiddo. Thank you." He said quietly, his voice raw with emotion.

Nurse Ann returned to the room with Shawn's pain medication. "Okay, honey, I'm just going to inject a very low dose of morphine into your I.V. We don't want to give you anything too strong. Hopefully, this should help with the pain. It might also put you to sleep, but don't worry, that's normal. Does that sound okay, sweetie?"

Shawn nodded, and she gave him a reassuring smile as she administered the dose.

Very soon, the combination of the morphine and Jon's reassuring hand stroking his hair gently put Shawn into a deep sleep. Jon was finally somewhat reassured that Shawn was okay, and that he was no longer in pain, so he also fell into a much needed light sleep.

It didn't last for long, though. Within fifteen minutes there was a light knocking on the door. Jon startled awake and looked at Shawn to make sure he wasn't disturbed, but the pain medication had done it's job, and Shawn stayed fast asleep. So Jon turned his attention to the people who had knocked.

A man in a suit with a badge on his belt stood next to a woman in a professional pantsuit, who was carrying a planner under her arm. Jon assumed that these people must be the detective and Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) worker that he had been informed would be alerted when Shawn regained consciousness.

His assumption was proved correct when the woman smiled and held out her hand to Jon. "You must be Mr. Turner. I'm Lisa Williams from the Department of Children and Family Services, and this is Detective Kyle." The serious-looking man nodded towards Jon.

"Hello. Please, call me Jonathan."

"Okay, Jonathan. So you probably already know why we're here."

Jon nodded.

"The Department of Children and Family Services and the local police department's Child Protection Unit was notified upon Shawn's arrival to the hospital. They said they would call when Shawn regained consciousness. We received said call about an hour ago. As the social worker on duty, my job is to interview Shawn and people close to him, such as yourself. I'm also handling Shawn's custody arrangements. Detective Kyle is here to collect information about Shawn's family history. Any suspicions of neglect or abuse should be reported to him, as well. He is handling the criminal aspects of this case." Lisa explained.

"Okay, thank you, I wasn't quite sure exactly what you each do. Shawn just fell asleep about twenty minutes ago."

"Yes, we were informed by his head nurse. She said not to disturb him. We will speak to Shawn when he wakes up. In the meantime, may we step out in the hallway and ask you some questions?"

"Yeah, of course." Jon looked towards Shawn's sleeping form. He hated to leave Shawn alone. He wanted to have his eyes on Shawn, keep him safe like he had promised him he would. But he told himself he was being ridiculous. He would only be a few minutes, and they were just in the hallway.

They stepped out of the room and into the hallway.

Detective Kyle cleared her throat. "So Jonathan, what is your relation to Shawn?"

A simple question, but the answer was difficult for Jon to explain. "I met Shawn about a year and a half ago. It was my first day teaching at John Adams High, and his first day of seventh grade. I was his homeroom and English teacher. I still am, actually."

He took a deep breath and made a conscious effort not to show the anger he felt at the situation he was about to explain. "But towards the end of that school year, Shawn's mom left, taking the trailer she was living in with Shawn and his father, Chet Hunter. Chet took off after his wife, saying he couldn't live without her. He dumped Shawn at a crappy motel, but he came to my apartment saying he had to ask me a question, and the poor kid was hungry and exhausted, so he ate some leftovers and fell asleep on the couch. I couldn't bring myself to take him back to that motel, so I took him to the Matthews' place."

Lisa raised her hand so he would pause his story. "How did Shawn know where you lived?"

"I told him. He and his best friend, Cory Matthews, were missing an assignment once, so I told them to give it to me before I graded my papers on Sunday. I gave them my address and phone number. Cory is a trustworthy kid, so I knew he wouldn't abuse the phone or show up at my place for no good reason. Shawn…I knew he had a tough life. I wanted him to know that there was a safe place for him to get help if he needed it. A number to call if he needed to talk."

"And did he call you or come to you to disclose any problems he may have had?"

"No, he was the kind that said he never needed anybody. He had learned not to depend on people... He never asked for help. Not until that night. And he didn't tell me what he was thinking that night, not until a month ago."

"Okay. Continue your story. You said you took him to the Matthews' place. Who are the Matthews to Shawn?" Lisa prompted.

"Alan and Amy Matthews' son Cory is Shawn's best friend. They have been since a kindergarten trip to the zoo when Shawn rescued Cory from the llama pit." Jon smiled, remembering Shawn telling him the story of how he and Cory met. "They're inseparable. Cory's a good influence on Shawn, and Shawn is very loyal to Cory. They're really good for each other."

"And you took Shawn to see Cory that day?"

"Actually, I went to see his parents. I wanted to get their advice on what to do. They cared for Shawn like a surrogate son. I talked to George Feeny, who lives next door to the Matthews', as well. He has been Shawn and Cory's teacher since the first grade. Now, he teaches History and is the principal of John Adams High. While we were talking, Chet Hunter showed up. He basically said he was only back to touch base, and that he was going to be gone for what he said was a few days. He asked Alan if Shawn could stay with them until he got back. Then he left."

"Did he come back after a few days, like he said?" Detective Kyle asked.

"No. He was gone for three weeks. Shawn tried hard to fit in with the Matthews' routine, but he struggled. It was hard for him to understand that his parents leaving wasn't his fault. So he acted out. One night he was hanging around with some older kids who were planning to do graffiti and he got picked up by a local police officer. He told the officer that he was staying with me. I let Shawn sleep over in the guest bedroom, and took him back to the Matthews the next morning."

"And then what happened?"

"Alan and Amy were frustrated by the whole situation, and I tried to get them to see it from Shawn's side. But before we could really talk, the phone rang. It was Chet. He told us that he found the trailer, but he was going after his wife, and he wasn't going to come back anytime soon. He didn't seem to care too much about the impact he had on his son, who was eavesdropping without us knowing about it. Shawn got upset, he felt like the Matthews didn't want him. He ran, but I caught him. He was angry and hurt, and he felt like no one cared about him. But he acted tough, saying he just needed a place to sleep. I offered him a home. With me."

"And why was that, exactly?" Ms. Lisa asked, curious.

"I didn't really know at the time. It was this unexplainable connection between us. All I knew then was that I cared more about this kid then I had ever cared about anyone else. I started thinking about Shawn staying with me for a temporary thing when the police officer brought Shawn to my apartment. The next day, after I asked him to live with me, I told Feeny and the Matthews about it, and that was when the Matthews told me about Shawn's nightmares. It was only a handful of times, but Cory had woken up to Shawn mumbling and crying in his sleep. He always woke up by himself, and when Cory or anybody asked about what happened in his nightmares, he said it was about something stupid, and then he changed the subject."

"Did Shawn's nightmares continue?" Lisa asked.

"Yes, they continued after he came to live with me, but after we had our first disagreement, the nightmares got worse. And they continued to get worse after every disagreement we had. Every test he failed, every lie that was told, every time I was at all frustrated, the nightmares got more intense, until finally he was screaming and kicking and crying in his sleep. Every night I asked what they were about. Every morning he pretended it didn't happen. Until a month ago, when he had a fight with Cory. Cory had gotten incriminating footage of a gang in the trailer park Shawn had lived at. Shawn's half-brother Eddie was the leader of the gang, and he felt like he had to protect his family. In Shawn's world, lies and danger and crime were all part of life. You didn't tattle to the cops, because then the people who committed the crime would hurt you."

Detective Kyle nodded in understanding. He had seen that type of situation before.

"Then Feeny had a talk with him about the meaning of family. He told Shawn that you didn't have to be related by blood to be family. Shawn thought about it for a while, and then sided with Cory against Eddie. He had done a lot of thinking about who was family and who was only blood. Cory was family, because he was kind and loyal and cared about him. Eddie was just blood."

"You said that Eddie was Shawn's half-brother? How old is he? Do you know if he was being abused, as well?" Lisa asked, concerned.

"Yes, he and Shawn both have Chet as a father. Eddie's twenty years old, and from what Shawn has told me, both Eddie and Stacey, his twenty-four year old half sister on his father's side, were also victims of abuse at Chet's hands. Shawn's mom was, as well. Shawn thinks that's why she left."

There wasn't much that Lisa could do for Eddie or Stacey, since they were no longer minors. "Okay. Please continue."

"That night, Shawn had a really bad nightmare. I asked him if he was going to tell me what it was about, and he thought for a minute before deciding that his dad wasn't really family, just blood. And then he told me what the nightmares were all about, and I understood why. His father had been physically abusing Shawn for as long as he could remember. Punching him, kicking him, burning him with cigarettes, hitting him with a belt, throwing things at him, locking him in a closet. He told Shawn that he was a worthless piece of shit, among other things, and that he didn't deserve food. Even when food was available, which wasn't often, Shawn wasn't allowed to have any. He shoved Shawn's face into his own vomit when he got sick and violently beat him for no reason at all except that he had a bad day."

Jon took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. The pain and anger that he felt thinking about Chet hurting Shawn had made him lose focus. He had described the physical and emotional abuse and some of the neglect, but he hadn't gotten into the medical neglect. "Then, when he hurt Shawn to the point that he needed medical attention, he took him to his cousin Stan, who went to med school but never passed his finals. He gave stitches, fixed up broken bones and sprains, but he never gave Shawn any shots to keep healthy or anything like that. As far as Shawn could remember, he'd never had any." Jon knew that that was serious neglect. Shawn's health and safety must always take priority.

Both Lisa and Detective Kyle were scribbling notes when a scream sounded from inside Shawn's room. Jon completely forgot about them as he threw open the door and ran to Shawn's side.

"Hey, Shawn, kiddo, listen to me. I'm right here, I won't let anyone hurt you, little buddy. I've got you, it's all gonna be okay. I love you and I won't let him hurt you, ever again." He murmured softly, holding Shawn's hand in one of his and stroking his hair in a comforting manner with the other. Shawn stopped kicking and screaming once he heard Jon's voice, but once he returned to the present moment, he still had to work on calming his breathing and slowing his heart rate down.

Detective Kyle and Lisa were watching as Jon gradually calmed Shawn down, both of them quite impressed. Detective Kyle was glad to see that someone was able to get Shawn's nightmares under control. Lisa was pleasantly surprised by the close relationship between Jon and Shawn. Both Lisa and Detective Kyle were hoping that Jon would want to continue that relationship.

Once Shawn was looking a little more settled, Lisa decided that it was time to speak up. "Hello, Shawn." She greeted warmly.

Shawn's head jerked up from Jon's shoulder and his eyes got wide. He started shaking and he clung to Jon tightly. Jon could tell by Shawn's tension that he recognized these adults, the policeman and the social worker, as the people that he had been ordered as a child to never talk to, let alone trust.

"It's okay, little buddy. There's nothing to be afraid of. Just try to relax, all right? They're good people." He said softly, trying to convince Shawn to talk to them.

Shawn gave Jon a wary look, but took a deep breath and turned to Lisa. "Hi." He said softly, unsure of himself.

"I'm Lisa, your social worker, and this is Kyle. He's a policeman."

Shawn's fears had been confirmed, but he took a deep breath and pushed himself to reply, knowing that it was important, and that it would make Jon proud. "I'm Shawn." He said quietly.

"We just want to ask you some questions, Shawn. Do you mind if Jon steps out for a few minutes?" Detective Kyle asked, and Shawn lost his nerve, remembering how his father had threatened to kill him if he ever told anyone about the things that had happened. He had warned Shawn that these people, social workers and police officers, had the power to hurt people and that if Shawn answered their questions, they would tear him away from his home and his family and send him to live with strangers. He wondered if this meant that these people had the power to take him from his home with Jon, too. Would they force him to live with strangers?

He looked up in a panic, staring at Jon with wide eyes. Jon closed his own, wishing that he could stay and comfort Shawn, but knowing that it was protocol for the authorities to question Shawn without anyone else present. He hated it, but he had no choice but to leave Shawn with them. Jon opened his eyes and smiled reassuringly at Shawn, squeezing his hand. "It's okay, kiddo. I'll be right there in the hallway, alright? If it gets to be too much, you just call for me and I'll be back in here in a heartbeat." He promised. "And kiddo, it's important that you tell them everything. Be honest, little buddy. They just want to help."

Shawn watched Jon walk out the door and took a deep breath as he turned to the social worker and police officer. "What do you need to ask me?"

"Well, let's start simple." Ms. Lisa smiled at him. "Can you tell me your full name?"

"Shawn Patrick Hunter."

"What's your favorite band, Shawn?"

Shawn looked at her, puzzled, but answering the question nevertheless. "Counting Crows."

"Not my kind of music, but I heard they're very good. What do you like to do for fun?" She knew that the simple questions were strange to the fifteen year old boy, but she was hoping that they would help put him at ease.

"Play basketball with my best friend Cory." Shawn replied, looking confused.

"That's nice. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?"

"At home, with Jon." Shawn answered easily.

Lisa smiled. "So you and Jonathan Turner are close, then?"

Shawn gave her an genuine smile. "Yeah. I live with him...well, I did, before my father took me. He gives me food, and a bed, and even an allowance. He helps me with my homework, watches the Phillie's games with me. He lets me have Cory over to hang out. He's like a dad to me."

"That's really great, Shawn." She was really happy that Shawn had someone who cared so much about him in his corner. It was more than some of the kids that she worked with ever had. "So, I'm going to have to ask you some questions about your father, Chet Hunter. Is that okay with you?"

Shawn took another deep breath and nodded slightly. He knew that he had to be brave and answer their questions so that his father wouldn't be able to get him back.

Lisa smiled in a way that she hoped was reassuring to the brave young man before her. "Okay. Now, if it becomes to difficult to answer our questions, just let me know so we can take a break, all right?"

Shawn nodded again.

"Shawn, how is your relationship with your father?" Lisa asked, taking out a pen and notebook to record Shawn's answers to her questions.

"Not good. He doesn't like me very much." Shawn replied, swallowing hard. It was still a painful thing to say.

"What make you say that?"

"He told me that he hates me. He yelled and called me names. He told me that I'm retarded and stupid and worthless and useless and "a little shit," stuff like that. He wouldn't let me eat. He hurt me, too." Shawn said quietly, hating that his voice sounded so small.

"How did he hurt you, Shawn?"

Shawn averted his gaze to the wall behind her. "He hit me with his fists and he kicked me. He hit me with a belt, and threw stuff at me, like dishes and beer bottles. He burned my arms and chest with cigarettes. He locked me in our kitchen closet and he shoved my face in vomit."

"I'm very sorry that happened to you Shawn." Lisa said gently, and Shawn blinked back his tears. "Did your father ever hurt you to the point that you needed a doctor?"

Shawn nodded. "My cousin Stan fixed my broken bones and gave me stitches when I needed them. But he never gave me pain medicine. Or any medicine, even when I was sick. I got sick a lot before I moved in with Jon. Jon took me to a real doctor to get me shots, and after that I didn't get sick so much."

"That's good, that Jon got you those shots. They're important. You said that your father wouldn't let you eat. Can you tell me more about that?"

"We never had food much, anyway. But he said that I was a waste of space and that I didn't deserve food. If he caught me eating his food, he'd hurt me even more." Shawn started to shake. "Are we done yet? I want Jon to come back in."

"Yes, Shawn. We can be done. You did a great job answering my questions. Thank you." Lisa signaled to Jon that he could come back in, and he opened the door immediately.

"Hey, little buddy." He smiled and took his place by Shawn's bed, taking his shaking hand in his own and rubbing circles to calm the teenager.

"Shawn did an excellent job. You would be very proud of him." Detective Kyle told Jon.

"I am. Very proud." Jon said simply, smiling at Shawn. Shawn smiled back, but started to yawn. He didn't have a lot of energy and the concussion and the pain medicine made it hard to stay awake. "Okay kiddo, try to rest, all right? I'll be right here."

Lisa turned to Jon. "We'll be in the waiting room. We'd like to speak to the Matthews and Mr. Feeny."

"Okay. I'll be right here." Jon said again, smiling at Shawn, who was beginning to fall asleep again. As the social worker and the policeman left they room, Jon spoke softly to Shawn. "I'll always be here for you."

Shawn gave him a tired smile and fell into a peaceful sleep, knowing that Jon would always be right there for him.

A/N: There it is, my lovely readers! I know a lot of you have been waiting for the whole adoption topic to come up (I'm very excited about it myself!) and I hope that it was up to your expectations. Please let me know in a review! Also, keep an eye out for Nurse Ann. She might become an important lady... ;)


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